The Poker Run, Leverick Bay

This morning everyone is up early as the guests have to leave to catch the early ferry for their flight back home.  It is very sad to say goodbye to such lovely people but we have no time to dwell on things as we have to dash up to Leverick Bay to input the results of the Poker Run and we want to see the beginning.

For those of you who don’t know what the Poker Run is, I will explain.  The ‘race’ is conducted by huge powerful speedboats.  The entrants can buy as many poker hands as they like and are given a numbered wristband for each one.  Each hand costs $250.  Starting from Leverick Bay, the boats call at 6 designated spots around the islands - Trellis Bay, Soper’s Hole, Norman Island, Peter Island, Spanish Town and Leverick Bay.  At each stop they collect a playing card.  The winner is not the first boat back to Leverick Bay but the person who holds the best poker hand.  With a total of nearly $18K in prize money, there is a lot at stake so the cards have to be carefully matched and recorded against the wristbands. 

Luckily the direction of the wind is helpful so we put the mainsail up and get 7.5 knots all the way.  En route, lots of speedboats pass us on their way to join the event.  These boats are pimped up to the eyeballs, brightly painted and decorated.  Engines are well and truly tinkered with and are loud and throaty.  Some with outboards have 900hp – and buy, do they shift!  To put it in perspective, this is about the same as as a Formula 1 race car, and they regularly leave the water entirely.

I take the opportunity of a little sunbathing “au naturale “ but the damn boats come up from behind so fast that it’s a series of very hasty cover ups.  It’s hardly worth the effort but I want to get rid of my stubborn strap marks so I persevere.

We manage to arrive just before the start.  The noise and the spray when the huge speedboats take off is incredible, and the two helicopters circling above add to the din, but the atmosphere, for a few minutes anyway, is electric.  Then it’s all over for a few hours until they start to return.

Unfortunately, in our desire to anchor away from the noise of all those engines, we cannot adequately capture the start.  Our poor camera just cannot cope – by the time we take a photo, the speedboats have shot by.  Most of our photos just show huge sprays of water!  Luckily, our friend Rick Moore has all the proper equipment and lets me copy his photos after the event, so all these action shots are his.  Thanks, Rick!

Photo:  The lull before the storm!

Photo:  Jostling for start position

Photos:  Four of the most brightly painted speedboats

Photo:  Now you see (and hear ) them coming …

Photo:  … and now they’ve gone!

Photo:  One of the 2 helicopters involved in filming the event

Photo:  At one of the 6 stops

  Photo:  The man himself, Rick Moore, in action

Once all the boats have left, Mike and I dinghy over, set up our computers, and wait for the first results to get faxed or e-mailed in.

 Photo:  The birthday boy at work

We are given a complimentary drinks card for the day, but unfortunately, can’t take advantage of it as we both have to have our wits about us entering the results as lots of prize money is up for grabs.  Mike sticks with water and beer, and I have virgin pina coladas and water.  Alex, the barman, is particularly insulted at having to make cocktails with no alcohol!

The 6 Poker Run stops, and 160 hands, mean that there potentially 960 results for Mike and I to enter.  One stop uses the spreadsheet that Mike has created to enter the results and we cheer when this is e-mailed as it means that these 160 can be dumped straight into the database.  Phew, only 800 to enter!

During a short break I sneak off to catch some of the carnival atmosphere.

 Photo:   People crowd to admire the boats after the run

 Photo:  Spectators watching an impromptu display of testosterone on the water!

At around 6pm, the winners are announced and there is much excitement.  This is followed by a swimwear fashion show and Kim is the MC.  Judging from the reactions of some of the male spectators, this is even more exciting than the Poker Run itself!

Photo:  Kim in action at the fashion show 

Mike and I pack up our computers and head back to the boat for our showers.  I need to wash off the ton of mosquito repellent from my legs, which doesn’t seem to have worked anyway, as I spot two bites where mosquitoes with no sense of smell have managed to get me.  Having had every intention of returning to the party, the lure of a comfortable bed in an air-conditioned atmosphere after sitting, sweating in a hard chair all afternoon is just too much, and I lie and read while Mike watches the Monaco Grand Prix which he has recorded earlier on the Slingbox.

We sleep very soundly that night, despite the best efforts of the party boat moored just in front of us.  Given the fact that they are all drunk out of their skulls by 7pm, luckily for us, they are probably all completely unconscious by 10pm!