"Jersey's Speed Devils" - Written by Brett Bayne
APRIL 2001 ISSUE
The news that the American Powerboating Association (APBA) is
bringing offshore racing back to the New York/New Jersey area after a 10-year
absence is reason to cheer. As recent poker run features in Hot Boat testify,
there are few sights as gorgeous as a pack of big muscle boats flying past the
New York City skyline or the Statue of Liberty. It’s a sight that gives one
the chills.
Dave Patnaude agrees. He’s the president of a group called the New Jersey
Performance Powerboat Club (NJPPC), a 205-member-strong organization that is
establishing itself as one the most prolific clubs around. The NJPPC seems to be
everywhere these days—on television, in magazines, and on the World Wide Web.
Its members are passionate about attending offshore races, poker runs and boat
shows, particularly the New York National Boat Show. Their enthusiasm is a
reflection of their leader, who was a fixture of the local offshore racing club
for more than 20 years. When that club fell victim to “greed, power and
politics,” he skedaddled—and formed the NJPPC.
“I felt strongly that I knew what a great club should be about,” Patnaude
says, “because I had seen how a great club crumbled.”
Patnaude wanted his new club to be a sociable one, with members who owned all
types of boats and coming from diverse backgrounds. This, he says, helps to
eliminate cliques and the feeling of a “closed” organization to a privileged
few. He (along with co-founders Ray Patnaude, Bob Cleveland & Rick Engstrom)
organized three poker runs and a radar shootout, knowing that producing quality
events would earn members’ confidence and build the club’s reputation.
“The word got out very quickly, and more and more people wanted to join in on
the fun,” he says. “Once people come to one of our events, they seem to be
hooked by the combination of fun, camaraderie, family atmosphere and friendly
people.”
The NJPPC includes a Planning Committee that consists of 14 members. The
committee steers the club, basing its agenda on member feedback. Like the
overall club, the committee consists of owners of both larger and smaller boats,
so everybody is represented in the planning sessions. Another key ingredient to
the club is the technological one—the group has had a website from day one,
and Patnaude keeps it updated regularly. With more than 1,000 visitors a month,
the site (http://njppc.com) is nothing short of spectacular, featuring
members’ boats and profiles, a Hall of Fame, classified ads, a message board,
calendar events and much more. Patnaude frequently communicates with members via
email.
Patnaude says his group differs from other organizations that focus solely on
producing high-ticket poker runs. “We’re a non-profit club that focuses on
providing our members with exciting events—including top-quality poker
runs,” he says. “We give them the best boating experience for their dollar.
We serve full buffet breakfasts and complete dinners at all of our poker run
events. You won’t find burgers or hotdogs being served—we go first class or
we don’t go at all.”
Safety is also a high priority for Patnaude & Co. All of the club’s events
include the services of paramedics and divers, who bring all of their medical
equipment along; lifejackets are also required to be worn during all events.
Although most members own high performance boats, there are some with other
craft as well. The average boat owned by an NJPPC member is 32.2 feet, with 102
boats over 30' and 82 under 30'. The fastest boat of the pack is a 40-foot
turbine-powered Skater called Jet Set, which reaches speeds of 180 mph. Other
rockets include Ruthless, a 46' Skater that zooms along at 160 mph, and Let’s
Rock, a 118-mph 37' Outerlimits.
Last year, the group’s events included four successful poker runs (two of them
overnight runs to Atlantic City), a radar shootout and a Winter Gala at the
Atlantic City Boat Show, which was attended by more than 200 members and guests.
In addition, club members provided boat rides for handicapped kids at the local
Day on the Bay event, and made a “significant cash contribution” to the
APBA’s charity fund at the St. Petersburg race. Outside of its own schedule,
though, members are encouraged to attend events produced by other organizations.
Last year, several members flocked to poker runs in Key West and Washington,
North Carolina, and the group clearly dominated the New York City Poker Run last
summer. Nearly 40 club members travelled together to St. Petersburg to attend
the APBA World Championships. Patnaude is thrilled to see friendships in the
club extending beyond the New Jersey state line—and beyond the area’s short
summer season.
Patnaude is frank about the challenges faced by the NJPPC. He is concerned about
keeping the growth of the club under control, and of keeping the needs and
desires of all club members fulfilled. And to keep potential “trouble
makers” as far away as possible from the group’s poker runs, “We realize
that we need to keep the poker runs as invitation-only events to our members.”
He adds that joining the club is simple, and that there are no standards to
meet. “All we ask is that you leave the attitudes home, be courteous to your
fellow members and be prepared to have fun,” he says.
For the year ahead, the NJPPC has secured space at the Atlantic City Boat Show
to display six to eight members’ boats. They’ll also have a Atlantic City
Winter Gala at Caesar’s Palace in an Oceanside room.
For more information on the New Jersey Performance Powerboat Club, visit
the website at http://njppc.com, or call (732) 506-5960.
Patnaude’s Principles
Based on his experiences founding a club and literally keeping hundreds of
performance boaters happy, Dave Patnaude offers the following tips for anybody
contemplating starting a new hot-boat club.
1. Make safety your first priority and fun a close second.
2. Treat everyone equally—disregard the boat and the size of a member’s
wallet.
3. Never make decisions on your own. Seek out the group’s opinion.
4. Listen to your members. Solicit both positive and negative feedback.
5. Budget the club based on internal funding only; do not rely on outside
sponsors to make the organization viable.
6. Don’t let your ego get in your way.
7. Don’t accept failure.
8. Keep the organization fun. When it’s not fun anymore, you know it’s the
beginning of the end!
2001 NJPPC Events
Saturday, June 2-3—NJPPC Atlantic City Poker Run (overnight)
Saturday, June 30—NJPPC Barnegat Bay Poker Run
Friday, July 13—Radar Shootout and Party
Saturday, July 14—Radar Shootout
Saturday, Aug. 4-5—Point Pleasant to New York City Poker Run (overnight)
Saturday, Sept. 15—Philadelphia Poker Run