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St. Thomas, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS - JULY 3, 1998 - Eighteen
boats and 57 anglers from the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto
Rico gathered under cloudy skies for the first of three days of Off-Shore
Division fishing in the 35th annual July Open Tournament hosted by the
St. Thomas-based Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club (VIGFC).
Day One leaders are Juan Donastevez, Jr. who took a blue
marlin Usually contested on larger boats who venture onto the
waters of the British Virgin Island's North Drop, Off-Shore Division
anglers vie for the "Big Five" -- blue marlin, white marlin,
sailfish, wahoo and tuna.
Saturday morning marks the start of the two-day competition
among six St. Thomas-based In-Shore Division boats -- Rampage, Lady
Marie, Catch'n Keep, Grady White, Patty's Permission and Fingertite
- competing for a new YAMAHA 40 HP engine grand prize sponsored by Offshore
Marine Services, Inc., distributor for YAMAHA Outboard Motors. Winners
in this division are recognized for catching the most weight of any
specie - except billfish, sharks and barracuda under 30 inches. Prizes
are awarded for Best Boat, Best Captain, Most Fish, Most Variety,
Largest Fish, Largest Kingfish, Largest Barracuda, Largest Wahoo, Largest
Tuna, Largest Dolphin, Youngest Angler, and more.
On-Shore Division junior angles ages 15 and under may register
for free on Saturday from Noon until 2:00 PM at the VIGFC clubhouse
above the Frigate East Restaurant in Red Hook. Sponsored by Vitel
Cellular, the On-Shore Division allows land-based fishing to begin anytime
on Sunday, with participants weighing-in their catch between 11:00 AM
and 1:00 PM dockside at Sapphire Beach Resort & Marina, followed
by a cook-out and awards ceremony.
Dedicated to the late Henry "Hoppy" Hampton,
the Virgin Islands' longest running sports fishing tournament is sponsored
this year by Chivas Regal, with Miller Lite Beer and Cruzan Rum, distributed
by Premier Wines & Spirits, Ltd. of St. Thomas. All tournament social
events and weigh-ins are being held dockside at Sapphire Beach
Resort & Marina.
Fishing aboard Juan Donastevez, Jr.'s Sea Dream, Puerto
Rico's Umberto Martinez is defending the Give'm Line Trophy won with
a 632 pound marlin in 1997. The Give'm Line Trophy -- for the July Open
Tournament angler who catches the largest blue marlin or tallies the
most releases -- was conceived by Dr. Lyman Spire, owner of Abigail
III, as an annual tribute to Captain Johnny Harms, who is credited with
pioneering sport fishing in the Virgin Islands in 1963. Any registered
angler who reels in a "Grander" (a 1,000-plus pound blue marlin)
can win $20,000.
Unique among Caribbean tournaments in that it includes three
divisions -- |
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JULY OPEN
STARTS WITH A BANG