More than 20 go-fast boats showed up for yesterday’s action on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Fla. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

High-performance powerboat owners who wanted to start this weekend early got their chance in the Northeast and Southeast yesterday, thanks to the Erie Poker Run in Pennsylvania and Florida’s Jacksonville River Rally Fun Run. The “casual day” for each event attracted more than 20 go-fast boats and their crews in ideal water and weather conditions.

“We only have 24 boats but it’s a very good crew,” said Tony Scioli of Elite Poker Runs LLC, the organizer of the event. “I’m very happy with everything.”

Conditions on Lake Erie couldn’t have been better for those who joined in yesterday’s casual fun run in advance of today’s Lake Erie Poker Run. Photos courtesy Tim Sharkey/Sharkey Images.

Said Erie event photographer Tim Sharkey, “It was a beautiful day on the Lake Erie.”

More than 900 miles to the south, participants in the Jacksonville River Rally Fun Run, as well as other boat owners in need of a day off in the area, took to the St. Johns River for the annual Boater Skip Day and Friday Raft Up.

Plenty of fast hardware turned out for the first day of the Jacksonville River Rally. Photos courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

“We had a good turnout and everybody seems to be enjoying the event,” said Greg Harris, a longtime participant in the Jacksonville River Rally and one of the driving forces behind the event this year.

The Erie Poker Run will start later today—the drivers’ meeting just concluded, according to Scioli. The “official” 160-mile round-trip Jacksonville River Rally Fun Run also begins shortly this today. (Look for follow-up reports on speedonthewater.com tomorrow.)

Yesterday’s Boater Skip Day and Raft-Up in Jacksonville was its usual casual, good-time affair. Photos courtesy/copyright Yvonne Aleman/Speedonthewater.com.

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