New high-profile Platinum Powerboat Club set to offer exclusive events for a cause.

Originally published in February 2009 issue

By Jason Johnson

Triggered by a charity event at North Carolina’s Lake Norman, a handful of high-performance boaters have created an invitation-only, charity-driven club with the goal of taking performance boating to another level. It’s called the Platinum Powerboat Club, and like the name, it’s going to be high-end.

With three all-inclusive events on tap for this year—starting with one in the Bahamas in mid-March—the club is expected to deliver five-star experiences with members who have the same things in mind: fun and safety.

The member list reads like a who’s who of performance boating. There are 10 founding members (see list), all of whom invite other boaters to join. The catch is, the group has to approve new members and the club will be limited to about 40 to 50 members, at least for 2009.

Sound a bit elitist? Maybe so, but Platinum Powerboat Club founder Joy Schou summed it up best.

“All these guys are hard workers—they work and they play hard,” said Schou, a special events planner and die-hard performance boater. “What they’re going to experience will be out of this world. Money is not an issue for a lot of these guys, it’s all about attention to detail and less hassle.

“The idea came from some high-profile powerboaters wanting to do events that were all-inclusive and very well organized. The cool thing is that they also want to give back. Every event we do will be based on raising money for a charity.”

After spending the weekend hosting Make-A-Wish kids on go-fast boats on Lake Norman in September, Schou knew something special was happening. So did boaters such as Craig Barrie, Kenny Dean and Bill Duckworth, who all gave plenty of boat rides.

What became clear after a few conversations over the weekend was a need for some smaller, high-end events with, of course, charity involvement.

“I really enjoy giving back to charities,” said founding member Kenny Dean, who lives in Charlotte, N.C., and does at least 10 poker runs a year. “I’ve always liked the runs like Smoke on the Water where there are less-fortunate kids involved. It makes you feel good to see the smiles on their faces.”

Schou said the first event, which kicks off in West Palm Beach, Fla., with a charity ride and live auction and then heads off to the Bahamas for a few days, will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The next one—a return to Lake Norman for the second annual “Puttin on a Wish” event—will be July 31-Aug. 2 and also benefit the foundation.

Schou pointed out that the club isn’t trying to detract from other organizations. In fact, many club members will attend poker runs across the country as they normally would. Except now, Schou and the Platinum Powerboat Club can handle arrangements and work with local promoters when necessary.

“By no means is this club meant to be competitive, it is more of a complement to the other clubs,” said Schou, who believes there’s a definite need for the club and its all-encompassing events that will include everything from fishing tournaments to lavish dinners.

“The point is to bring a group of people together who enjoy the same sport and bring something to the community at the same time,” said Craig Barrie, Donzi Marine’s vice president of sales, who is also a founding member.

For more information on the club, visit the club’s Web site at www.platinumpowerboatclub.com .

Platinum Powerboat Club Founding Members
Craig Barrie, Sarasota, Fla., vice president of sales for Donzi Marine.
Kenny Dean, Charlotte, N.C., poker-run enthusiast and owner of Scaredy Cat Skater.
Bill Duckworth, Red Bank, N.J., poker-run enthusiast and owner of Bad Boy Billy, a 51 Outerlimits.
Larry Goldman, Hollywood, Fla., offshore racer and owner of Xtreme Marine.
Dean Loucks, Elkhart, Ind., painter and owner of TAOD (The Art of Design).
Dave Patnaude, Toms River, N.J., president of New Jersey Performance Powerboat Club.
Bob Teague, Valencia, Calif., world champion offshore racer and Teague Custom Marine owner.
Jim Wiley, St. Petersburg, Fla., poker-run enthusiast and owner of XXX 47 Outerlimits.
Tom Healy, Mount Holly, N.J., co-owner of Marine Unlimited, owner of Wild Child 37 Outerlimits.
Joy Schou, Fort Myers, Fla., performance-boating enthusiast, special events planner and Platinum Powerboat Club liason.

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