Local knowledge helps team to victory at World Sailfish Championships

by Bob Wonders on 19 Apr 2011 A South Florida team has claimed victory in the World Sailfish Championships staged off Key West.

In what has been described as a final day frenzy, ‘Team Sandman’, a 63’ Spencer custom sportfisherman skippered by Miami’s Neil Orange found itself the centre of attention.

Team Sandman finished the final day of the tournament releasing six of seven strikes to leap from second place into the lead and claim the coveted world crown.

During the tournament, ‘Team Sandman’s crew, which included owner Sandra MacMillan (later named Top Female Angler), raised 17 sailfish, outdistancing ‘Team Lights Out’ by three fish.

‘Team Sea Hunter/Conched Out’ made a late move towards the top, but with 12 releases had to settle for third place.

Sandra MacMillan said winning the title meant a lot.

'We’ve had a really good year, but to win the World Sailfish Championship is amazing; it’s sinking in, but it hasn’t sunk in yet,' she added.

The win sees the ‘Team Sandman’ crew, Orange, MacMillan, Wes Stevens, Robby Waddick and Corey Ryan (all from Pompano Beach), Jason Roe, of Fort Lauderdale and Domie Adams, of Miami claims the lion’s share of the $1 million purse.

Their share was a decidedly handy $255,785, or if distributed evenly, a neat $36,540 each.

During the tournament, 71 boats raised and released 335 sailfish over the three days of competition.

Tournament chairman Chris King rated the 2011 event the best ever staged.

'We topped the $2 million mark in charitable donations and when you have this level of competition combined with the support for charity it makes for a true world class event,' he declared.

Competing crews found they were in action early with five sails hooked and released in the first 10 minutes of the opening day.

'Team Sandman’ was at it early and when the eighth fish of the day was released it was in a tie for the lead with ‘Team Lights Out.’

Captain Chester Sims (‘Team Lights Out’) jumped back into the lead shortly after, but the lead lasted a mere 57 seconds.

MacMillan then released the first of her three releases and ‘Team Sandman’ was able to pad its lead for the remainder of the day.

She finished with seven releases for the tournament to earn the Top Female Angler honour for the event.

Skipper Neil Orange described ‘Team Sandman’ as 'the lucky boat.'

'We were able to just key onto those bites first thing in the morning,' he said.

'We were fishing around everybody in the fleet, we had boats inside of us, boats outside of us, we were just the lucky boat that was able to get the bites,' he explained.

‘Team Lights Out’ managed only two fish on the final day, including the last one which took more than an hour to release, but it was enough to secure second place for the team for the second year in succession.

Skipper Sims said the day was a little slow for ‘Team Lights Out’.

'We were hoping to do a little better and hang onto the lead, but those other guys were really on their game and it just wasn’t our turn,' he said.

‘Team Sea Hunter/Conched Out’ released two fish in the final 35 minutes to earn third place while ‘Team Que Mas’ came from out of the blue to release three in the final hour to steal fourth place.

Gary McBride, owner of ‘Team Sea Hunter/Conched Out’ said they originally went to the wrong spot.

'We caught probably 30 bonito and nearly burned every rig on board,' he said.

'It was frustrating and we thought we had lost it.

‘But we made a move and raised a fish, moved again and found another.

'Then we found another with just three minutes left and moved from sixth to third.

'We were just looking to get away from the bonito, it we’d caught another one I think our arms would have fallen off,' he added.

For ‘Team Sandman’ the trip to Key West, right at the southern most point of the USA, proved to be a continuation of what proved to be a great year for the team.

‘Team Sandman’ finished second in the season-opening Sailfish Cup and third in the Big Boat Division of the Sailfish Kickoff before winning the Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Release Tournament off Palm Beach in January.

Skipper Orange credited the team’s success with fishing on the Friday day off.

'We fished all day and more than anything else ruled out that area as a possible fishing spot when competition resumed,' he said.

It turned out that may have been the most important decision of the entire tournament.

'This is the biggest tournament of them all, what a great one to win; our fifth year fishing this event and we finally got it,' he said.

For further information visit www.worldsailfish.com/blog