With apologies to the folks at the Oneida Chicken Wing Run in Upstate New York—you fell below radar but won’t again—there were three strong go-fast boating events last weekend. Not bad for what was the final “official” weekend of the summer.
But which one was the hottest?
Boat count and temperature-wise, the Florida Powerboat Club Emerald Coast Boat Week event led with 80 boats and daytime temps in the mid-to-high 80s sizzled. Big-water fans probably left a tad disappointed because there was none to found in the Gulf from Destin to Navarre Beach, but that’s a small percentage of most go-fast boating groups. And from Thursday through Saturday, the skies were blue and water, the emerald hue from which the place takes its name and the atmosphere was laidback unhurried. By design, no one was in a hurry to get anywhere.
For ferocious brand-passion and an extended family reunion, the vibe at Weekend At Ronnie’s—powerboat collector Ron Szolack’s annual invitational gathering at the Lake of the Ozarks in Central Missouri—could not have been hotter. In addition to the 30 Skater catamaran owners and their guests who showed at the event, there was a 44-foot MTI catamaran and Performance Powerboats P420 catamaran in the mix. Disgruntled Skater purists may scoff. Then again, life is too short to exclude dear friends for the sake of exclusivity.
Of course, nothing beats the smoking hot views that 40- to 50-something powerboats owners and their friends enjoyed at the Lake Powell Challenge because, you know, it’s freaking Lake Powell. And after a day exploring that other worldly waterway, it’s nice to return to a houseboat village that is lively and energetic, but not too lively and energetic. By multiple accounts, that was the scene for weekend at the Antelope Point Marina venue in Page, Ariz.
But the question remains. What was the hottest go-fast boating event of the weekend?
At least for participants at Emerald Coast Boat Week, Weekend and at Ronnie’s and the Lake Powell Challenge, the answer is easy.
The one they chose.