For team Chasin Tail, three days of fishing at the Cape Eleuthera Championship showed that the 60 foot Viking catches what it is ‘chasin.’ The Ft. Pierce, Florida based team led by Howard Webb and Capt. Robbie Valco kept the pressure on by catching blue marlin each day of the tournament. In catching and releasing four blues over the three days and adding a white marlin to the count on the second day, the team amassed a total of 2600 points to take First Place at the second leg of the 2011 Bahamas Billfish Championship.
Team Zues, with owner Sandy Smith and Capt. Glenn Cameron directing the angling efforts, finished second on the 58 foot Custom sportfisherman. The team compiled a 2400 point total by catching and releasing three blue marlin, two white marlin and two sailfish for the week. Of their point total, team Zues compiled an impressive 2000 points on the final day of fishing.
Third place was awarded to James B. ‘Junior’ Davis of Kissimmee, Florida on board the 61 foot Garlington, Wave Paver. Davis and Capt. ‘Snick’ Akers also compiled 2400 points in releasing three blue marlin and three white marlin for the three-day event hosted by the Cape Eleuthera Resort & Yacht Club. In BBC competition, when two teams achieve the same point total, the winner is determined by the team first reaching the point total.
For the win, Howard Webb and Chasin Tail was awarded a Randy Rich designed trophy presented by the BBC. As Top Release Team at the Cape Eleuthera Championship, Chasin Tail received a Hy Jacobson original teak sculptured trophy sponsored by Murray Products and the Al Behrendt Marine Group. In addition, Top Crew trophies, sponsored by the Lewis Marine Group, were presented to Capt. Robbie Valco and the Chasin Tail crew. All top three finishers received Randy Rich trophies, gift certificates from Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service (ROFFS) and a supply of Bacardi Anejo Rum from Bahamas based Bristol Wine and Spirits.
This year, the twenty-three participating boats caught and released a total of fifty-eight billfish; twenty-five blue marlin, twenty white marlin, and eight sailfish. As with all BBC tournaments, all releases are validated using time and date stamped digital images. Affidavits signed by all participants fishing on each team further confirms that the fish was released in accordance with IGFA and Bahamas Billfish Championship rules.
The Championship tournaments are governed by a uniform set of rules for qualifying billfish with cumulative points determining the overall Bahamas Billfish Champion. After two tournaments of the five tournament series, team Zues ranks First Place Overall with 5600 points. The top spot is heavily contested with Team Wave Paver a close Second Overall with 5400 points and team Chasin Tail standing at Third Overall with 5100 points. The three teams are competing in all five tournaments with Zues and Wave Paver finishing second and third respectively at the Central Abaco Championship.
The Bahamas Billfish Championship is a world-class fishing tournament series founded in 1973 making it the oldest billfish tournament series in the world. In an effort to give-back to the Bahamian people, the Bahamas Billfish Championship endowed two scholarships that enable Bahamian students the opportunity to pursue a degree in marine biology or advanced education in marine technologies.
For the complete details about the Championship, the very latest information and overall standings visit www.bahamasbillfish.com or contact the Bahamas Billfish Championship at 866-920-5577.
Source: Bahamas Billfish Championship
