This week, Release Boatworks is a proud sponsor of one of our favorite tournaments, The Silver Sailfish Derby, put on by our good friends at West Palm Beach Fishing Club!
The Silver Sailfish Derby was established by the West Palm Beach Fishing Club in January 1935. While structured quite differently today, the event is the oldest running sailfish tournament in the world.
The only three years the Derby didn’t run was the period between 1943 – 1945, during WWII. At one time, famous American author and avid big game angler, Ernest Hemingway was a Derby trophy sponsor. The Derby is also credited with developing the red release pennant and was one of the first sailfish tournaments to promote catch and release.
The WPBFC is proud to continue the Derby tradition. Tournament boats and anglers will compete against one another for prestigious awards like the Louis S. Boski Outstanding Catch Award and the magnificent Mrs. Henry R. Rea Trophy. Trophies, marine artwork, fishing tackle and accessories will be awarded to top anglers and teams. The Derby features a two-day, Thursday & Friday, fishing format – a measure that was taken to avoid competition with weekend anglers and to foster increased tournament participation. The tournament fleet is limited to 50 boats to ensure a quality event, and there is no “hook and hand” in the Silver Sailfish Derby. We appreciate that they continue the tradition that whoever hooks the fish, fights the fish!
Last year at the 2022 Silver Sailfish Derby, Team Release Boatworks CHARLIE (Tatyana Usova, Peter Schoels, Chris Kennedy, Lacey Hagler, and John Gambino) brought home the trophy for “Biggest Meatfish” with a phenomenal 54.6 pound yellowfin, reeled in by angler John Gambino. That’s a rare fish for Palm Beach!
At the 2020 Silver Sailfish Derby, Team Release Boatworks’ very own, Angler Tatyana Usova, was awarded the Top Lady Angler trophy for releasing 5 sailfish aboard the 46’ Release Boatworks walkaround, “Charlie”. Usova, Peter, and the anglers on CHARLIE are back at it again this year as Team Release Boatworks.
Watch the video below for the 2023 Silver Sailfish Rules Review.
