RECORD BREAKING TOURNAMENT – Leg I of the second annual Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown will go down in history with over 55 fish per boat released by 39 teams in 3 days
Los Sueños Resort and Marina, located at Playa Herradura on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, broke yet another world record with the first leg of the 2015 Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown billfish series, presented by Poms & Associates and held January 21-24. A total of 39 all-star teams comprised of 157 individual anglers. Over three days of fishing, the teams jointly released a total of 2,154 billfish, including 24 marlin and 2,130 sailfish, only 16 releases behind the world record of 2,170 set during the inaugural Triple Crown tournament in January 2014, but setting a new record with the highest fish-to-boat ratio of any tournament ever, at 55:1!
DAY 1
It was Tuna Bite who called in the first sailfish release of the tournament at 8:04 am, immediately followed by Team Galati with a marlin at 8:05 am. By 8:30 am on Day 1 over a fish a minute had been called in to tournament control and by 9:00 am, we had already tallied over 100 releases. Needless to say, the bite was on! At noon, it was Trophy Box in first (2,400 points) with a 300 point lead over Pescadora (2,100 points), while Wire We Here and Team Galati were 200 points behind (1,900 points each) and tied for third. At 2:26 pm, Pescadora moved into first with a sailfish release and 3,600 points. Trophy Box jumped 500 points at 2:58 pm to tie Pescadora on points, and Wire We Here slipped into third, also tied for points, with a sailfish release at 3:10 pm. Tarheel called the first quadruple sailfish release of the tournament at 3:27 pm. It was Wire We Here who won the day though, ending with 3,900 points, 200 points ahead of Pescadora (second), Tarheel (third) and Trophy Box (fourth), all tied with 3,700 points each. There were 710 billfish released on Day 1, including 702 sails and 8 marlin.
DAY 2
Day 2 started off with a double sailfish release at 8:07 am by Tranquilo. The excitement was paramount, driven by the high number of multiple releases, including a double by Trophy Box at 8:18 am, followed ten minutes later by a double on Wire We here, back-to-back with the first of five quadruples on Day 2 alone by Trophy Box at 8:29 am. Doubles and triples were commonplace this leg. By 10:34 am, Wire We Here, Tarheel and Trophy Box had each released 15 sails for 1500 points. In the overall standings, Pescadora was 1,000 points behind with 4,200 points. At the end of the day, it was Tarheel at the top of the leaderboard for the day with 4,700 points, after releasing 47 sails. Tarheel also finished on top in the overall standings with 8,400 points (84 sails), 900 points ahead of Wire We Here (65 sails, 2 marlin) in second and Trophy Box in third with 7,400 points (69 sails, 1 marlin).
DAY 3
Just four minutes after lines in, Tarheel was calling in the first sailfish release of the day, followed by Uno Mas Smith with a double less than one minute later. By 1:56 pm, a combined total of 1,910 billfish had been released and by 3:30 pm participants and spectators alike were wondering if the teams would be able to surpass the 101 fish needed to break the previous year’s all-time world record Signature Triple Crown in January 2014. With 17 doubles, four triples and a quadruple sailfish release (by Xta Sea at 3:53 pm) called in to tournament control in less than an hour, teams made a valiant effort. In the end, they would have to settle for breaking the world record for the highest fish to boat ratio in tournament history, previously recorded at 52 fish per boat (January 2014, 2,170 releases by 42 teams). This year’s 39 participating teams released a total of 2,154 billfish in three days for a world record average release per boat of 55 billfish. Chasin Tail put on a spectacular show on the third and final day of the competition with 37 sailfish releases to take the daily. The spotlight was on Tarheel though, with 10,800 points after 108 sailfish releases, giving them a solid first place finish overall, 500 points ahead of Wire We Here in second with 10,300 points (93 sails, 2 marlin) and Trophy Box in third with 10,200 points (97 sails, 1 marlin). The closest runner up was Pescadora with 8,200 points (82 sails).
BACK STORIES
Tarheel is new to the Los Sueños fishing tournaments; however, all eyes are on anglers Robert Shore, E. Smyth McKissick, Carrol Brizendine and Wells Hula, going into the final two legs of the Triple Crown. Owner, boat builder and team captain, John Bayliss, is a legend in his own right. Over his 25 years on the water, John has compiled considerable winnings on the international tournament circuit.
Wire We Here fished their first Los Sueños tournament in January 2014, completing all three legs of the inaugural event and finishing eighth overall. Less than a year later, they moved swiftly into the winner’s circle. Owner and Los Sueños resident, J.R. Fleming, fishes with his sons Stephen and Hunter, and friends Michael Wells and Steve White. It’s up to Captain Scotty Jones though, to find the fish.
Trophy Box is a new addition to the Los Sueños boat list; however, owner Gray Ingram is a familiar face on the docks. Together with his fellow anglers, Watson Caviness and Paige Robertson, Gray won first place during the second leg of the 2010 Los Sueños Signature Billfish Series on his previous boat, Big Oh. However, with only 327 billfish released by the 43 participating boats in February 2010, Gray’s team definitely upped their game this year, alongside their friend, fellow angler and brother to Captain Ronnie Fields, Jimmy Fields.
On behalf of the tournament committee, a hearty congratulations to all of the participants!
CASH PRIZES & AWARDS
Despite rain showers earlier in the week, the weather was perfect for the awards ceremony on Saturday night. It was held under the stars on the white sand in front of the Los Sueños Beach Club. Guests enjoyed a phenomenal buffet dinner and a live musical performance by Sasha Campbell. Immediately preceding the presentation of trophies, prizes and checks to the tournament winners, guests enjoyed the highly anticipated dock show filmed and produced by Rich Christenson and Michael Butler. The ceremony was closed out by a spectacular fireworks display by Faisa and a jam-packed after party with DJ Charlie Stevens was hosted at the Terrace Lounge in the Los Sueños Marina Village. Tournament winners took to the stage to receive a total of $124,000 in cash, as well as other prizes provided by tournament sponsors.
1st $62,000 Tarheel: 10,800 points, 108 sails
2nd $37,200 Wire We Here: 10,300 points, 93 sails and 2 marlin
3rd $24,800 Trophy Box: 10,200 points, 97 sails and 1 marlin
Trophies by Gray Taxidermy
Other prizes and awards by: Costa Rica Dreams- a fishing trip with accommodations in a Del Mar condominium; Tunaskin- apparel; Rick Bogert- framed prints of the 2nd annual Triple Crown tournament art; Vanmark, Inc.- gold pendants; Costa– sunglasses for the winning anglers; and Flor de Caña- aged rum for winning teams and top angler.
TOP ANGLER
It is always a surprise when the Top Angler is announced. This year that surprise was to the delight of yet another familiar face on the Wall of Champions, Austin Angel of Sea Angel. Austin released a total of 38 sails in three days for 3800 individual points, 400 points ahead of his closest competitor, E. Smyth McKissick of Tarheel.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The entire tournament organizing committee would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who came together to support this event. Our gratitude goes out to all the anglers, captains, mates, observers, technical advisors, cameramen and videographers, Los Sueños staff and of course, our sponsors (in alphabetical order): Caterpillar/Gregory Poole, Chantilly Air, Costa Sunglasses, Costa Rica Dreams Sport Fishing, Costa Rica Luxury Rentals & Tours, CR Primo Fishing Tackle, Flor de Caña, Galati International Yacht Sales, Gato Gordo golf cart rentals and sales, Gray Taxidermy, Los Sueños Resort and Marina, Marriott, Moto Desmo Costa Rica (Ducati and Vespa), MTU/Tractomotriz, Poms & Associates, Rick Bogert, Scotiabank, Secure Title Latin America, Sevenstar Yacht Transport, Tunaskin Aquatic Apparel, Vanmark Inc., Viking Yachts, Weather Routing Inc. For more about our sponsors, please visit https://signaturetriplecrown.com and click on Sponsors.
OWC QUALIFYING EVENT
The top team from each leg of the Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown will be eligible to compete in the 2015 Offshore World Championship.
ABOUT THE LOS SUENOS SIGNATURE TRIPLE CROWN
2015 marks the 2nd Annual Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown billfish tournament series. The Triple Crown consists of three annual tournaments, in January, February and March each year, and is fished out of the world class Los Sueños Resort and Marina in Costa Rica. The dates for 2015 are Leg I: January 21-24, 2015, Leg II: February 25-28, 2015, and Leg III: March 25-28, 2015.
ABOUT LOS SUEÑOS RESORT AND MARINA
Los Sueños Resort and Marina is the premier luxury real estate resort in Costa Rica. Nestled on the Central Pacific Coast, Los Sueños is an 1,100-acre oasis offering incredible ocean, rainforest and golf course view properties; a gorgeous waterfront Marina Village commercial area with restaurants, shops and lively entertainment; a large private beach club for residents; an 18-hole championship golf course; a superb 201-room Marriott Hotel; and much more – all within close proximity to world record-setting sport fishing waters. Information on Los Sueños Resort and Marina is available online at www.lossuenos.com.
For further information, please contact Ashley Bretecher, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, Los Sueños Resort and Marina, Toll-free: 1-866-865-9759, Direct Tel: 011-506-2630-4005, Fax: 011-506-2630-4010, or e-mail: a.bretecher@lsrm.com.
