That two go-fast boating events are happening on the same day is not unusual, especially in Florida. That they are happening within a little more than 20 miles of one another, however, is a bit less common. And that’s exactly what’s going on today with the Florida Powerboat Club‘s Tampa Bay Poker Run and Fort Myers Offshore’s annual jaunt to the Sarasota Hyatt for the weekend.

Think of it as a tale of two nearby cities.

For a look at the action from yesterday’s FPC Fun Run, check out the slideshow above from photographer Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Here’s another coincidence of sorts: Yesterday, approximately 25 boats from the Florida Powerboat Club fleet headed to the Tarpon Pointe Grill & Tiki Bar for lunch. Today, a similar number of Fort Myers Offshore boats—out of 31 that made the run north yesterday—will head to the same venue for lunch. Meanwhile, the Florida Powerboat Club boats—roughly 45 of them—will be in the middle of their poker run on Tampa Bay.

Of course, like the organizations—the Florida Powerboat Club is a professional poker run outfit and Fort Myers Offshore is a nonprofit club—the events couldn’t be more different. For the FMO folks, predominantly from the Fort Myers area, the Midwest, the Northeast and Canada, this weekend’s event marks the end of their season. For FPC head Stu Jones and his club’s participants—who come from all over the country—in the Tampa Bay Poker Run today, there’s still a lot of season left.

For a look at the action from yesterday’s FMO Sarasota Hyatt run, check out the slideshow above courtesy of Bob Barnhart.

One more difference: Most of the Fort Myers Offshore people came to their host venue, the Sarasota Hyatt, by boat, while most of the participants in the Florida Powerboat Club trailered their boats to the launch ramp and docks near the their host venue, the Renaissance Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg.

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