Race Updates
The IGFA Great Marlin Race (IGMR) officially got underway at the Club Nautico de San Juan’s 58th Annual International Billfish Tournament (IBT) that was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 5th – 11th. As the inaugural event for the IGMR, the IBT was a resounding success with all 10 tags being sponsored by individuals or teams by the first day of fishing!
IGFA President Rob Kramer, Dr. Randy Kochevar from Stanford University and IGFA Conservation Director Jason Schratwieser were onsite to provide instructions to teams that purchased tags and also ride along with several teams over the course of the tournament to help deploy tags. We envisioned that it would take most of the tournament to get all 10 tags sponsored so we felt that five tag sticks would probably be enough for any given day on the water. Boy, were we wrong! Luckily, Randy had brought along an additional five titanium applicator tips, which, with the help of a few dollars’ worth of miscellaneous hardware, were then attached to wooden mop handles to make five additional perfectly functional, albeit slightly unaesthetic, tag sticks.
Even though fishing was cut short by one day due to Tropical Storm Maria, the 185 anglers from 12 countries fishing aboard 51 boats released 84 blue marlin and deployed six of the 10 tags. The first day of fishing saw three tags deployed. Angler Charles Donato on the Islamar caught the first tagged marlin a little after 10:30 in the morning. Less than 10 minutes after captur,e the feisty 68 kg (150 lb) blue swam off in good health and sporting some new and expensive jewelry. Moses Torrent caught the second fish of the day on the Batichica and Mike Benitez on Sea Born scored the last tagged fish of the day with brute estimated 260 kg (575 lb).
Day two of fishing saw a 57 kg (125 lb) blue caught by Antonio Fullana aboard the Bolita that was tagged by his uncle and IGFA Representative Jaime Fullana. Later that day, IGFA Trustee Pepe Anton’s boat, Amirita, saw action with a 113 kg (250 lb) marlin caught by longtime friend Norman Pichardo and tagged by Jason Schratwieser.
The IGMR had its very first lady angler on day three. Ms.Mariana Fuster landed a 91 kg (200 lb) blue after a 45 minute fight that was quickly tagged by Jorge Rivera. Mariana was excited beyond belief when she turned in her tag data sheet and has informed us that she has named her marlin “Vic” and can’t wait to see where he’s gone after 120 days. The additional three tags that were sponsored but not deployed during the tournament are on boats as we speak and will be deployed in marlin as soon as possible, which will be also eligible for the 58th IBT Race as well as the overall annual race.
Over 30 Prizes and Trophies Awarded at Club Nautico de San Juan’s 58th Annual International Billfish Tournament
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — The statistics are impressive! Even though fishing was cut short by one day at Club Nautico de San Juan’s 58th Annual International Billfish Tournament (IBT) due to Tropical Storm Maria, the 185 anglers from 12 countries fishing aboard 51 boats released 84 blue marlin – 15 more blue marlin releases than last year’s tournament in a full four days of fishing. “The turn-out of anglers, boats and fish was incredible this year,” says Frankie Mirandés, chairman of the 58th IBT.
Mayte won the Top Boat trophy with six blue marlin releases. “We released two blue marlin the first day, one the second and three today,” says Puerto Rico’s Jose Cestero, owner and one of four anglers aboard the 60-foot Hatteras. “The last 15 minutes of the tournament were tough. Then as soon as we knew we won, we started jumping up and down and turned up the music. Peje and Sea Born finished second and third, respectively, each with five blue marlin releases, Peje having reached their five first.
The Top Angler trophy went to Juan B. Soto Balbas who released four blue marlin. “I’m very happy. I’ve fished this tournament for 20 years and never won,” says Puerto Rico’s Balbas, who fished on the 52-foot Hatteras, Bimba. “Luck, knowing how to fight a marlin, to have patience and not lose your cool, is the secret to my success.” Puerto Rico’s Hector Rodriguez Blazquez finished as the second best angler, while Scotland’s Trevor Somny ended third. Both men released three blue marlin, with Blazquez releasing his first. Somny also won Best International Angler. “We will be back next year,” says Somny, who fished with his future son-in-law, Malcolm MacDonald. Australian anglers, Eric Visser and Tim Gillingham, each released two blue marlin and finished second and third, respectively, in the international angler standings.
Puerto Rico’s Stephanie Lebron, angling aboard the 54-foot Bertram Tati-Way, earned Best Female with the release of one blue marlin. “I caught it in the morning of the first day of the tournament,” says Lebron, an experienced angler who won the top lady prize in the Cangrejos Yacht Club Billfish Tournament in 2009 and Scrub Island Tournament in the British Virgin Islands in 2010. “I only fish these three tournaments, but I fish often throughout the year. I really enjoy it.”
The IBT is a well-orchestrated fishing competition that boasts nightly parties, a spectacular boat parade, special Ladies Program, a Shoot-Out start past the famous El Morro Castle, honorary jet fly-over welcoming the fleet back to shore and a tournament finale Gala Awards Banquet. New this year, the IBT served at the launch tournament for the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) year-long Great Marlin Race. Angling teams sponsored 10 pop-up archival satellite tags valued at $4000 each and placed these in released Atlantic blue marlin during the tournament. The tags are designed to ‘pop-off’ the marlin four months after being placed, float to the surface, and provide researchers with a wealth of data contained in the tags and picked up via ARGOS satellites. The IBT-placed tag that surfaces furthest from where it was deployed will win the race, earning that angler a free entry into the 2012 IBT and recognition by IGFA. This is just one way the world’s longest continually-held billfish tournament is doing even more to promote billfish conservation.
IGFA Conservation Director Jason Schratwieser, who co-directs the Great Marlin Race with Stanford University’s Dr. Randy Kochevar, says, “Six tags were placed in marlin during the tournament and I have no doubt the avid anglers here in Puerto Rico will place the remaining three in the next week. This program is the perfect opportunity to marry angler passion and science.”
Visit www.nauticodesanjuan.com for full results, exciting videos, photos, Facebook links and Twitter feeds. Article contributed by Virginia de los Reyes.