Forty Midnight Express boats and crews gathered at Haulover Marine Center in North Miami Beach, Fla., for the third Midnight Express Rendezvous, May 13-15. All 40 boats ran to Bimini on Friday. On Saturday the fleet visited the Sapona shipwreck, Honeymoon Harbor, and Beach 360.
A highlight of the fleet was hull #2 of the new Midnight Express 52’ Vitesse model (pictured above in bottom right), which just debuted at the Miami International Boat Show in February. Designed for day cruising or for use as a weekend base camp, the 52’ Vitesse has a beam of 13' 8" with a center console layout. For lazy days at the sandbar the boat is equipped with a hydraulically actuated swim platform. The bow can be configured as a dining table or converted to a sun-lounging space. The cabin within the console features a master suite, head compartment, salon and an aft kids bunk. This example is powered by five Mercury Racing 450R outboards, good for a top speed of 84 mph.
On Sunday, 15 Midnight Express boat owners chose to extend the trip through May 18 with a run to Nassau and a stay at the Atlantis, with day trips to Exuma and North Eleuthera. The rest of the fleet returned to Florida on Sunday. For everyone it was a weekend of safe boating and Wide Open camaraderie.
