Rockin’ The Harbor Poker Brings—And Beats—The Heat

For performance boat owners and their lucky friends in Baltimore last weekend, the fourth annual Rockin’ The Harbor Poker Run based out of East Harbor Marina was the only place to be. First, with 55 performance boats from the likes of Midnight Express, MTI, Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats, Skater Powerboats and more in the mix and a two-day dock party, the event didn’t lack for action.

But second, and perhaps even more important, running fast on the water creates a breeze, and with weekend temperatures in the mid-90s, participants needed every bit a breeze they could get.

The fourth annual Rockin’ The Harbor Poker Run delivered a colorful 55-boat fleet. Photos courtesy/copyright Shane DeFries/Ninety7 Digital

“We tented the docks to provide shade for the baddest dock-party ever, and the Friday night bikini contest had 26 beautiful ladies” said Jimmy Jernigan, one of the event’s organizers. “Next year, we are going to get even bigger tents and bathrooms right on the docks.”

The two-day dock party was hit.

Jernigan said the water was flat for Saturday’s 80-mile round-trip poker run. Fellow event organizer David Landsman—a veteran poker run participant who tries to hit as many summertime events in the Chesapeake Bay area as possible along with frequenting Florida Powerboat Club events to the south, was among the 275 participants.

A multi-time Midnight Express center console owner who plans to participate in the upcoming Tiki Lee’s Shootout On The River July 18-21 at Tiki Lee’s Dock Bar in Sparrows Point, Md, Landsman said the now four-year-old happening was a hit.

Courtesy of David Landsman and company, Midnight Express of South Florida had healthy representation in Maryland last weekend.

“It was great,” Landsman said. “This year was the first for the two-day dock party. We also changed a few of the card stops and stayed on the north end of the Bay Bridge this year. It was a very different feel running through what used to be the Key Bridge, but that made for a pretty cool picture opportunity.”

Added Jernigan, “I want to give a big shout-out to Harbor East Marina for letting us take over the place and their dozen dockhands.”

Destroyed by a freighter in March, the remnants of the Francis Scott Key Bridge made for unusual photo-ops during the run.

Regular attendees of the the Rockin’ The Harbor Poker Run, the team from Maryland Offshore Performance Marine Center had a great time at the event.

“As usual, the event was well-organized,” said Maryland Offshore’s Mitch Kramer. “I had a really good time even though I was worn out from trying to get everything going for this. I think we were at the shop till midnight almost every night for two weeks. Joe’s and Bill’s boats did phenomenal in the event.”

Kramer was alluding to his longtime customers who normally join the Maryland Offshore crew for its annual Teasers Tour—Joe Erickson, who owns a radical 40-foot Skater catamaran among other boats, and Bill Nohle, who owns an incredible 50-foot Cigarette Racing Team V-bottom powered by triple Mercury Racing 1075SCi engines he calls Thunderstruck.

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