December 10, 2008
Tournament Records Fall At The Sailfish Cup Tournament in Miami
The best sailfishing teams in the world assembled at Miami Beach Marina November 10 – 12 to compete in the second richest sailfish tournament on the globe. A total of 47 teams set a tournament record in challenging for the right to have their crews names inscribed on the Bill France, Jr. Memorial Sailfish Cup, the tournaments’ perpetual trophy. Among them, the 18 member teams of the newly formed Sailfish Pro Series were represented. Team Hostile rallied on the second day of competition to take the title with a total of 20 releases.
The Sailfish Cup was originally designed to celebrate the final race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series while kicking off the South Florida sailfish tournament season. Executive Adventures, the organizers behind Sailfish Cup, hosted the event in royal fashion.
Strong north-easterly winds on the first day of fishing brought in a record number of 249 fish shattering the overall two-day total of 208 releases at the 2007 Sailfish Cup. Team Advanced Roofing secured the day one lead with 14 releases followed closely by Team Hostile, Vitamin Sea Too and Whatever It Takes all coming in with 12 releases. The wind turned southerly on the second and final day of fishing raising the total up to a tournament record of 388 releases and allowing second place Team Hostile to clinch the lead over Team Advanced Roofing by only minutes with 20 releases. Final standings included Team Hostile in first place, Team Advanced Roofing taking second with 20 releases and Team Vitamin Sea Too taking third with 17 releases. Holding true to the title of “The Richest Tournament in Miami,” a purse of $524,000 was paid out.
In addition to record breaking fishing, participants enjoyed VIP parties offering gourmet cuisine, top shelf open-bars and live entertainment. A red carpet luau themed dock party at the Miami Beach Marina catered by Texas de Brazil was enjoyed by all, complete with hula girls and fire dancers. The final event of the tournament was the Sailfish Cup Gala and Awards Banquet presented by Molasses Reef - Turks & Caicos with charity auctions benefiting The NASCAR Foundation and Speediatrics at Jungle Island.
The Gala, hosted by Mike Helton, president of NASCAR, was an evening of remembrance, philanthropy and celebration. The perpetual trophy, a New England Sterling masterpiece, was renamed in honor of the late Bill France, Jr., whose influence and vision brought NASCAR to the forefront of the national stage. Mrs. Betty Jane France, wife of the late Bill France, Jr. and current chairwomen of The NASCAR Foundation, said a few words in memory.
Other notable attendees included Jim France, Brian France, NASCAR team owners Rick Hendrick and Richard Childress, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers and Greg Biffle, as well as Honorary Co-Chairman of the tournament, Dr. Guy Harvey. Rick Hendrick’s Team Reel Wheels secured 8th place with 13 releases fishing with many of the drivers mentioned above.
A successful Gala and auction raised $110,000 for The NASCAR Foundation and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation with exciting items ranging from one of a kind travel experiences and autographed memorabilia. The evening wrapped up with the first ever awarding of the Bill France, Jr. Memorial Sailfish Cup to Team Hostile.
Executive Adventures
Executive Adventures is a full-service event management company based in Clearwater, FL. Founded in 2001, Executive Adventures has an extensive background in sports and entertainment marketing including work with Major League Baseball, NASCAR, the National Football League, NCAA, National Hockey League and American Idol. Executive Adventures works with each client to tailor an activation plan making certain expectations are met. Highly trained staff attends to every detail of each event from the initial concept through the completion ensuring a memorable experience. Executive Adventures is widely known in the sport fishing industry for the success of the World Sailfish Championship and the Sailfish Cup held annually in Key West and Miami Beach, FL, respectively.
The NASCAR Foundation
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc., (NASCAR) launched The NASCAR Foundation in January 2006. The Foundation is a 501(c) (3) non-profit entity that embodies the compassion of the NASCAR Family and its commitment to serving communities. The Foundation supports a wide range of charitable initiatives that reflect the core values of the entire NASCAR Family. The NASCAR Foundation will use strength of the sport and its people to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. For more information on The NASCAR Foundation, please visit the website: www.nascar.com/foundation.
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