Billfish Tournament – The World Billfish Series has announced that the A.H. Riise BVI Billfish Tournament, hosted by Bitter End YC July 31-August 4, 2007, will become an official tournament of their well-known World Tour. The tournament has already gained status as a qualifier for the IGFA Offshore Championships in 2008.
“The A.H. Riise BVI Billfish Tournament is expected to be a world-class event that will showcase the outstanding blue marlin fishery that exists just a short distance offshore of the British Virgin Islands,” President & CEO of the World Billfish Series Jim Simons explains. “The amount of support from the BVI Government and Tourism Board is unparalleled for a first year tournament, and we are very pleased to add this event to the WBS World Tour as part of our Caribbean Division.”
Long known as a sports fishing arena, the BVI is no stranger to keen anglers in search of blue marlin. But now this big game event is putting the BVI on the Angler’s world map.
“We are proud to partner with our newest business in the islands, A.H. Riise with their Rolex boutique, which will allow us to showcase the unsurpassed beauty of our islands, as well as demonstrate the fact that our waters provide some of the best fishing in the Caribbean,” said BVI Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism Dr. D. Orlando Smith.
The world’s top bluewater anglers will now have the opportunity to fish this first-class event, all while earning valuable WBS points towards the World Tour.
The top 10 anglers in each division will earn an invitation to the WBS Grand Championships at Los Sueños, Costa Rica.
“We are honored to be part of this prestigious series” said Lawrence Wheatley, Tournament Director.
“We are looking forward to welcoming anglers from all over to experience the unsurpassed fishing our waters provide.”
The marlin is a large game fish. It has an elongated body that in larger species can be in excess of 4 metres (13 ft) long, a spear-like snout, and a long rigid dorsal fin which extends forwards to form a crest. Marlin are fast swimmers, occurring in all seas and hunting small and large fish.
The larger species include the Atlantic blue marlin, Makaira nigricans, which have been reliably recorded in excess of 5 metres (16 ft) in length and 820 kilograms (1,800 lb) in weight, and black marlin, Makaira indica, which have been reliably recorded in excess of 5 m in length and 670 kilograms (1,470 lb) in weight. Marlins are very fast and can swim some 100 metres, that’s almost a football field, in about 4 seconds. Combined with their sheer size, they are considered one of the best game fish in the world.
This is an “all release” event, which means that everything caught must be released in order to not affect fish resources.
“This is our first venture in the fishing world, and we’re off to a great start,” said Sebastiano Paiewonsky-Cassinelli, Vice President of A.H. Riise. “We expect forty boats and believe that Bitter End, which is only 12 miles from the North Drop, will provide the perfect destination to combine great fishing with plenty of shoreside activities for anglers and their families.”
“We want to combine fishing with fun, and we believe the Bitter End Yacht Club will provide the perfect destination for great fishing, as well as plenty of shoreside activities for anglers, their families and guests,” said Filippo Cassinelli, Vice President of A.H. Riise.
“We are delighted to host the inaugural A.H. Riise Billfish Tournament at Bitter End Yacht Club,” said Dana Hokin, resort owner and managing partner. “Fishing is what first brought my grandfather and father to the North Sound some 40 years ago. Today, what was our little family retreat is now a landmark in the BVI. And we are proud to be able to provide the shore side amenities and hospitality that will no doubt help to make the tournament a world class event.”
The A.H. Riise BVI Billfish Tournament will include three days of fishing and a lay day, so anglers and their guests can cruise the British Virgin Islands or get in a day of shopping in Road Town.
Proceeds from the tournament will be donated to charities to be selected by the Government of the BVI and A.H. Riise and will be administered by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands.
Sponsors of the inaugural event include Island Global Yachting, Murray Products, Carib Beer, Caribbean Cellars, Delta Fuel, Mainsail Resort Spa and Marina (BVI), Jack Daniels, Southern Comfort, Finlandia, Sonoma Cutrer, Five Rivers Vineyards, Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Cuervo Black, The Crystal Shoppe, Waterford Crystal, Southern Boating magazine, Mt. Gay Rum, First Bank, Hatteras Yachts, Antilles Yachts Sales, Gregory Poole Marine Power, Road Town Wholesale, and the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association.
For entry information go to http://bvibillfishtournament.com and check out www.bviyachtguide.com ‘s “breaking news” section for more updates as we approach the event.
