Founded in 2018 by motorcycle event-producer and marketer Del Flores, the Spartan Powerboat Club has rekindled go-fast boating events in New Jersey. And the scene needed rekindling. The once-powerful New Jersey Performance Powerboat Club stopped producing events in 2019 had been decline before Dave Patnaude, the son of the late Ray Patnaude, who founded the club in 1999, shuttered the outfit. A dedicated guy but one with a living to make, Patnaude worked hard to revive the club but no longer had the time or bandwidth for it.
Last weekend’s Coty Marine Cory Molinari Atlantic City Poker Run was another Spartan Powerboat Club gem. Photo courtesy/copyright of the Spartan Powerboat Club
As evidenced by the 42-boat Coty Marine Cory Molinari Atlantic City Poker Run last weekend in the Garden State, the Spartan group is continuing to roll along in strong fashion.
The event’s namesake was just 19 years old when he died in a boating accident in 2021. By all accounts, the young man was a devoted performance-boating fan and a Spartan event participant, much like Flores himself.
“I have a deep passion for powerboating,” Flores said. “I feel blessed that I get to organize these events. Not only do I get to bring these amazing people together for an amazing vibe and great party, but we also get to raise money for my two favorite charities, Autism speaks in Saint Jude Children’s Hospital.”
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