SPORTS

Poker and boat race at Million Dollar Run

2004 Best Time winner Andres Ugland guns his custom made craft	Ian Tibbetts, who won second place in the race in 2004, is pictured with his son Keith cutting through the water
2004 Best Time winner Andres Ugland and his team	Andres Ugland with Paul Harris and his son
2004 Best Hand winner Naul Bodden pushes his craft to the limit	Ritz boating

Ian Tibbetts with his son Keith relaxing afterwards

Friday,  March 18, 2005

Racing some of the fastest boats in the Western Caribbean and North America in an intense hour of cross-island boat racing and a hand of poker is what it takes to get the $10,000 cash and prizes on offer in the Million Dollar run.

The irony of course is that many of the competitors actually make up some of the Islands’ most affluent businessmen, who put pedal to the metal not for the grand prize but for the prestige of saying, “I won the Million Dollar Run.” 

“The race was born in conversations between Andres Ugland and myself,” said Kenny Rankin. “As two local businessmen with an active interest in enhancing the lifestyle and tourism product of the Cayman Islands, a high-end sporting event was the obvious choice.”

This year, the event is enhanced by a blockbuster line-up of gold sponsors including Cable and Wireless Broadband, Cayman 27, Johnny Walker Black, Taittinger Champagne, Heineken, Eminent Audio, Grand Old House and Kaibo Yacht Club. Two local radio stations – Vibe 98.9 FM and Spin 94.9 FM – will broadcast live from the three main events which will take place on Easter Sunday 27 March.

The mechanics of poker run boat racing are actually quite simple. Each participating boat navigates a carefully charted course, stopping at several checkpoints along the route to pick up a sealed envelope containing a single playing card. At the final checkpoint, the remaining cards are pulled, the envelopes are opened and the crew holding the best poker hand is declared the winner.

Racers will begin the run out of Kaibo’s start point. At speeds reaching in excess of 100 miles per hour in their top class crafts, the racers will take the turn around North West Point, continuing up the coast to the Ritz Carlton. At that point, they will retrieve their second card. After a second lap, they will return to the waiting spectators at Kaibo and randomly retrieve their final three cards.

Poker Runs are events for the entire family. Few spectators will forget the rush of activity when racer Naul Bodden drew his winning card at Million Dollar Run 2004 or when Andres Ugland came ripping into the finish as last year’s race winner. 

This year the action kicks off with a Family Day and Boat Show at Kaibo at 2pm on Sunday. Sky Wireless will be on hand with remote control boats and planes. There will be a deluxe Kids Zone with bouncy castle and face painting. Teams are welcome to battle it out at beach volleyball, tug-o-war, and kayaking games. Monster Media – the event organizers – will also have a multi-media tent featuring flash presentations of its media brands.

For more information on the third annual Million Dollar Run presented by Ugland Offshore Racing and The Residences at the Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman log onto the event website on www.MDR.ky.

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