offshore cpa: Million Dollar Run 2012

One of the things that the Cayman Islands should be known for (if it isn't already) is the almost ridiculous number of public holidays that we enjoy here. We get eleven bank holidays, no questions asked, but then last year we got a special extra day for the Royal Wedding, and this year we get a special extra day for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee AND another special extra day so that everyone can vote. Crazy! We love it.

Anyway, every year on Easter Monday (a public holiday, of course), throngs of people come out to Seven Mile Beach to watch the Million Dollar Run (MDR): Basically, the biggest, fastest boats on the island racing each other.

Our friend MC (the same guy who hosts the Island Air Show) won the mid-sized boat category race last year, so he of course entered the race again in 2012. Last year, MO was part of his "crew", and this year, RL and RG also got involved, complete with matching outfits and hats. Love it!

RL, MO, and RG wait for the race to begin.

I think the airline theme really worked! I mean, don't you think that if RL's accounting career goes bust, he could totally be a convincing pilot?

While the whole crew interviewed with the local news...

...I hung out with my fellow VIP.

Ahhh yes, it is so good to know "people". (Thanks MO!)

Having VIP passes meant having access to Royal Palm's upstairs porch area, which was key in the blazing heat.

RL checking out the playing field with RG.

And what an impressive playing field it was. Supposedly, the owner of one of the red boats below paid $100K just to get that boat to the island in time for the MDR (which doesn't include the boat's actual price tag). Now you can appreciate the name of this race.

I swear those red boats looked fast just sitting there!

The race took forever to start, but honestly, we had no place to be. So we chatted away with the crew.

I know I'm off-topic, but aren't these Melting Hearts sunglasses just amazing for reflections? With RG around, I always had an excuse to take another photo.

As the race began, Jerome of Cayman Island Helicopters maintained a bird's eye view. I'm sure photos from that vantage point would have been amazing!

Ultimately, MC took the lead in his category and never looked back. Soon enough, it was time for a victory lap, with the crew waving to the crowd.

Isn't this next photo hysterical? Some guy is just floating around, enjoying his day at the beach, practically getting run over by speed boats. #problemsinparadise

During the large boat category race, we all crowded onto the front of MC's boat for a better view of the big boys. A huge thank you to MC for our prime time seats, and for entertaining us with your MDR efforts. Congrats on the win!

Although the super-nifty, Batman-worthy, red spacecraft monster shown above was specially ordered for the large boat event (and had only one competitor), technical difficulties prevented it from being raced. But this portion of the day was still my favorite, because being on a boat with friends, just enjoying the holiday together, is really the main thing I showed up for.