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Powerboat Club offers fun, competition Published
in the Asbury Park Press 7/25/01 By JOSH DAVIDSON Some came for the competition and some for the fun at the New Jersey Performance Powerboat Club's latest boating events.
The Top Vee winner was Bob Christie, who's 42 Outerlimits boat gunned home at 120 mph. Bayville spectators watched these multicolored boats put their noses down and fly. In this event, boats take two passes down a controlled buoy of water and their speed is calculated with a radar gun. To keep things fair, boats are classed by size, if they have one or two engines and horsepower. Each winner of the 11 classes gets a trophy. "It's usually the more experienced drivers who keep their boats at top speed," said group co-founder Rick Engstrom. "Those are the people who get the trophy at the end of the day." The 35 Cigarette run by Bob and Lorelei Feldman won the Poker Run held at Barnegat Bay. "To watch the boats come up and dock is the exciting part," said Engstrom. "It's fun to catch up on the modifications they've made over the year." Poker Runs are more for fun and excitement than competition. The group boating events have boaters set out on a planned cruise route. They stop at five separate locations to grab a sealed envelope with single playing card. When the cruise is over the envelopes are publicly opened. The group with the best poker hand wins a cash prize pooled from the entry fees. "Being on the water alongside 40 or 50 powerboats, that's the whole fun of it," said group president Dave Patnaude. "There is friendly competition that goes on, but we don't give prizes for speed or anything like that." The four-year old, 240-member NJPPC is more than just fancy boats and speed racing. Three years ago, Frank and Melissa Civitano were looking for a club more involved with family and less with who has the nicest boat. Last year Frank's 22 Donzi won the Radar Shootout. "It's like a competition because you want to know how fast your boat is going," said Frank Civitano. "But it's more for fun. I'll never stop doing it because it's so enjoyable." It's a place for people to meet and share their passion for boating. "You don't really realize that you can meet that many people," said Melissa Civitano. "They remember you and you remember them." Viewing the Poker Run as a spectator takes a bit of strategy. "Not all of our events are spectator friendly," said Patnaude. "The best place to spectate is the starting and finish points." The drag race that takes place in a Radar Shootout is easier to watch. "You can see boats as small as 18 feet go 90 mph," said Patnaude. Upcoming events include the overnight Point Pleasant to New York City
Poker Run beginning on Aug. 4 and the Philadelphia Poker Run on Sept.
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