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PBN Staff

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Chief Performance is a brand that has been leading the way for high performance boaters for over 25 years. Lead by Tommy Hoflsetter Chief Engines has provided naturally aspirated, supercharged, and turbo charged engines to countless loyal boaters.

If you were in Key West and attended the famed Florida Power Boat Clubs “Poker Run Village” then you just couldn’t miss the gleaming fuel injected supercharged engine located front and center of the event in the Chief Performance display.

More importantly there were many boats in the poker run and in the race that were running CHIEF PERFORMANCE ENGINES. Buddy Thomas brand new 46 Outlerlimits and Kerry Leong 52 SV Outerlimits were just two great examples of how well these engines make these boats run.

Whether you were near the Chief Performance booth which was packed non-stop during the event or at the dock you could find Chief Performance fans and Chief power represented in some of the finest boats in the world.

 

The Miami International Boat Show is moving to a new home on Key Biscayne.

In 2016 through at least 2017, the Boat Show will be placed near the graffiti art tagged Miami Marine Stadium. This famous structure was at one time the best place in the world for boat racing and other water events.

For a long time now there have been numerous efforts to rebuild the structure and bring it back to its glory days stature. There is huge hope the $30 Million renovation of the dilapidated Stadium will be realized and the move of the boat show to the Marine Stadium may just help move things along.

Specific details on how the show will be arranged are still in the works but we know this is a great step in the right direction for the renovation of the stadium and celebrity supporter Gloria Estefan and Miami City officials are making an onsite announcement about this deal this Thursday morning.

No one knows if this will be a permanent move for the boat show or if just temporary. The friends of Miami Marine Stadium has secured $15 Million in commitments for the renovation and have the support of History Miami. Estefan, who performed at the stadium with Miami Sound Machine and is serving as the face of the campaign, has pledged $500,000.

For 2016 and 2017 the boat show would mostly use the area now occupied by the stadium’s vast asphalt parking lots, which under a 2010 master plan approved by the city commission are to be converted into a tree-lined park equipped to stage special events. Like most of the shows run by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the show exhibits would be placed in tents and other temporary structures.

Boat racing has gotten pretty use to tearing up engine and drivetrain parts as the quest for more speed and pushing the limits is nothing new. But when it comes to tearing up or lets say disintegrating boats were just never really ready for that.

It was a very destructive weekend in drag boat racing recently and The Lucas Oil Drag Boat Series World Finals in Phoenix was full of action. Often when we see offshore boats crash its dramatic and scary but when drag boats crash at speed, they don’t just tumble and crack their hulls, they completely obliterated into what seems like splinters of what was floating showpieces on the water. The only thing left intact — and the only thing that’s even intended to or built to sustain a crash — is the driver capsule. Everything else, including the drive train, is secondary. These capsules along with the emergency response procedures are truly remarkable and have really made a difference in the Drag Boat World.

Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, saw a series of very frightening crashes happen during the season finale in four categories of which involved Top Alcohol Flat (flat bottom) racers. Fortunately, each of the drivers emerged without life-threatening injuries.

 

Prior to the start of Fridays Offshore Powerboat Race the Powerboat Nation Crew took over the race course frontage with a little support from the local Key West, U..S Coast Guard. The crowd roared up upon recognizing the PBN flagship Cigarette, we felt like it was similar to a celebrity status, and then we remembered we had three stunning bikini clad models on the sunpad and maybe the weren’t looking at us.

Theses ladies aren’t just your girls next door, these are some stunning beauties. Match that with the rapid fire echoing from our polished stainless steel t-shirt air cannon, launching our infamous PBN tee shirts over 150 ft into a crowd of boating enthusiasts who were waiting for the start of another offshore race to start. You can figure that such an adventure was little like throwing fresh steak to a lion!

Powerboat Nation has a load of content to come from the Key West Poker Run. We’ve been everywhere these last few days, starting in Miami and running to Key West, covering the pavement on Duvall Street, out to Boca Grande and more! Check out our preview video and see what we have coming next week!

PHOTOS & MEDIA:

Powerboat Nation Key West Poker Run Photos Thread!!
PBN Girls Step Up the Entertainment for Race Spectators
Boca Grande Raft Up – Key West Poker Run 2014
Did you get a picture with the Powerboat Nation Girls at Key West?
Powerboat Nation Girls Take on Key West

 

For a nearly a hundred lucky high school students from Coral Shores High School in the sunny Florida keys their teacher Chris Catlett a Marine Mechanics instructor gathered the students for a field trip of life time. Chris brought them to the SBI world powerboat races in Key West for some hands on learning. For over nine years Chris has been providing this extra curriculum to his students. John Carbonel of Super Boats International was fully supportive of the entire project and provided free VIP tickets for wed races every year as long as they would guarantee to get all 3 high schools in the keys to come.

Kids in the keys usually get a boat before they get a car. For years the school has had this program and not only is it growing its a huge success and motivator for the kids to learn. For these kids to have the opportunity to go to the Worlds Finals Offshore Race is an chance for the students to get to see the latest in marine technology up close.

Racing breeds technology that eventually makes its way to the public or consumer after being invented and developed on race boats. The students really get an eye opener. First State Banks Kurt Lewin and Super Boat International’s John Carbonel make this possible. This is a fantastic opportunity for learning and everyone involved deserves a huge thank for putting this program together.

Thursday nights Florida Power Boat Club/PBN kick off party brought out a great example of the huge turn out that is invading the Florida’s, Key West this weekend. Stu was on stage presenting the Peoples Choice Awards. The party began at the massive Hardin Marine 53′ rolling display and media station.

Stu Jones was the official announcer and kept the crowd alive with laughter with his impromptu comedic jokes among delivering “Best of Awards” for the event. The events Best Catamaran award was delivered to Bob Russel of Outerlimits Power Boats for Buddy Thomas new 46 OL. Best Display went to Hardin Marine, Best Yacht to Pure Insanity as well as others. Best looking girl crew was a self proclaimed victory of Powerboat Nation! LOL We are all having fun!

PowerBoat Nation had the pleasure of having these two beautiful ladies travel along with us today during the Key West Poker Run. Never shy, the girls enthusiastically boarded every boat they could at GILBERT’S and we made sure to capture it for all to see.

All the way to Key West the PBN GIrls had fun with the Poker Runners and after hitting the ground in Key West it was off to the PowerBoatNation Booth in Poker Run Village and the Florida Powerboat Clubs Peoples Choice Awards held on the Hardin Marine Showcase Display Stage!

More than 100 boats headed out Thursday Morning for the Key West Poker Run’s biggest day. Powerboat Nation was on hand as Stu Jones of the Florida Powerboat Club lead the assembled boats on their way to the southernmost tip of of the U.S. for the big run. Great weather came through and we had a fantastic run to Key West. Boats and teams from all over the world are here and everyone is having fun.



The weather turned out to be really good and the water was perfect for the big run. Keep coming back we have a lot planned for today and much more coming to you online at www.PowerBoatNation.com

The 50 foot Cat from Statement Marine caught fire this afternoon during the Florida Powerboat Club’s Key West Poker Run. The boat is powered by a T-53 turbine engine. Nick Buis and Todd Werner of Statement and two guests were on the boat. Thankfully, Buis and Werner and their friends were able to get off the boat escaping the flames, taking refuge on a nearby boat that came to their rescue.

The US Coast Guard was on the scene and as of yet has prevented Buis and Werner from getting anywhere near the boat as it continued to burn as the day faded.

Buis isn’t sure what the cause is of yet but has gone on the record with these comments: “We were running, and we felt a vibration and slowed down to make sure we hadn’t thrown a prop blade or something,” “We think it might have started with a broken drive line, but by the time we stopped and looked in the engine compartment it was really burned and we couldn’t stop it. So we moved to another boat.”

IT IS KEY WEST TIME! Today the first wave of Powerboats left Miami en route to Key West with 41 boats making the 160 nautical mile run. Right now in the weather in Miami is a little overcast and a little windy but it just doesn’t matter. When we all get to Key West the weather will be the last thing on our minds.

We go powerboating all year and go to many different events. All of the other events and just plain days on the water is great, but , it just cant compete with the Florida Powerboat Clubs Key West Poker Run! People travel from all over the world to run on this incredible powerboating event with over a 150 boats making the 160 nm one way run from Miami to Key West and others coming in from Florida’s West Coast and even some trailering down, the culmination of all these boats as destination in Key West really means something.

We plan, prepare, and strategize to put all of our plans together and just today we made hotel reservations and other arrangements for the 2015 Key West Run.

By the time we get there the races will have already started and plenty of people will be in town, but until we all arrive the place just doesn’t really take off and have the full atmosphere, because the 150 plus boats with each boats full entourage brings a huge impact to the overall event.

PowerBoatNation will be all over the event and we invite everyone to Poker Run Village for the welcome party at our booth. We will also be running around bringing you some excitement and surprises with the PBN Girls!

This is Key West Poker Run Week and we are ready to run!

Many celebrations will be taking place this week in Key West and a real BIG BIG DAY is today. Our powerboating Boatfreak.org friends T.J. Bailey and Spring Williams are getting married. Yes Sir in Key West this week coinciding with the boat race and poker run. Any coincidence here? We really don’t think so. T.J. and Spring are the happiest most fun living boating couple we know and all of us at PowerBoatNation join all of their family and friends to wish them a most incredible day.

We will be arriving in Key West tomorrow afternoon and look forward to celebrating a little with you both!

Congratulations!

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