For immediate release
Contact: Fred Miller
561-351-7498

PALM BEACH DOUBLE SHOT

46^th Annual Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Release Tournament

6^th Annual Florida Fish for Life Sailfish Derby

RED HOT FISHING HIGHLIGHT

BUCCANEER CUP AND FISH FOR LIFE TOURNAMENTS

A cold front had temperatures hovering in the 30’s during the captain’s meeting on January 21^st at the Buccaneer Restaurant, but while participants were huddled in heavy jackets and sweatshirts, they were all expecting the fishing to break wide open as a result.

The Buccaneer Cup along with the Florida Fish for Life made a return to the Buccaneer Restaurant with a great captains meeting with good food and a Jamaican steel band for entertainment. Gary Caputi, Buc tournament director, and Fred Miller, FFL tournament director, briefed the crews on slight changes in the rules and the fishing schedule before a buffet diner was served. Then crews returned to their boats to finish prepping for the first day of fishing and what a day it was!

The Buc Cup fishing days ran Thursday, Friday and Saturday while the Fish for Life was scheduled for Thursday and Friday. Day one of both tournaments saw the sailfish snapping for anglers from lines in the water at 8 AM with live baiters racking up big numbers early in the day and trollers working hard to match the pace. Miss Annie, Capt. Matt Rabenstein at the helm, finished the day with 21 releases for 28 bites totally 2100 points with Rude Awakening putting 9 fish on dead bait on the board for 1800 points. 

Day two of the Buc and FFL saw a repeat of day one with the Miss Annie Team continuing to dominate with releases being called in regularly throughout the day. When the dust settled the team finished the FFL with an additional 21 releases out of 40 bites for a total of 4200 points and a first place finish with a margin of 1800 points over second and third places boats Big Oh and Juel Marie with 2400. Big Oh won second on time with Juel Marie finishing third. Greg Bogden of the Miss Annie took home top angler honors with Chris Martin of the Juel Marie taking second and Molly Flemming taking top lady angler.

Day three of the Buc Cup saw the fishing action drop off dramatically with boats working hard to scratch out additional points to advance their position in the standings. When Lines Out was announced at 3 PM Miss Annie was still atop the heap with 4600 points, Big Oh had catch and released enough to move its total to 3400 points and Covert Mission has moved into third place with 3200 points. Greg Bogden captured top angler honors, Chris Martin took second and John McIntyre took third with Molly Flemming taking top lady angler honors. (For a full listing of winners see the standings below.)

Saturday evening the crews and guests, observers and all the volunteers and tournament officials for a wonderful dinner and awards program at the Sailfish Club of Palm Beach. It was announced that the FFL generated approximately $15,000 for is continuing donations to medical research and treatment of colon cancer and the Buc would be sending its proceeds, approximately $25,000, to the Recreational Fishing Alliance. Sincere thanks to everyone who helped including sponsors, volunteers and participants.   

2009 WINNERS

46^th ANNUAL BUCCANEER CUP SAILFISH RELEASE TOURNAMENT

1^st Place Boat             4600 pts          Miss Annie                 Capt. Matt Rabenstein         

2^nd Place Boat            3400 pts          Big Oh                        Capt. Ronnie Fields

3^rd Place Boat             3200 pts          Covert Mission          Capt. Kieth Greenberg

1^st Place Angler          1500 pts          Greg Bogden              Miss Annie

2^nd Place Angler         1400 pts          Chris Martin              Juel Marie

3^rd Place Angler         1400 pts          John McIntyre           Certifiable

4^th Place Angler          1400 pts          Gray Ingram               Big Oh

Top Lady Angler        600 pts            Molly Flemming         Certifiable

Top Captain                                        Matt Rabenstein        Miss Annie

Top Mate                                           Luke Hickey              Miss Annie

First Sailfish                                       Krazy Salts                 Capt. Shaun Orcot

Last Sailfish                                       Krazy Salts                 Capt. Shaun Orcot

Heaviest Fish             26 lb Wahoo   Natural                       Capt. Tony Rizzo

2^nd Heaviest Fish       22 lb Dolphin  Play Time                   Capt. Darren Cobb

2009 WINNERS

6^TH ANNUAL FLORIDA FISH FOR LIFE SAILFISH DERBY

1^st Place Boat             4200 pts.         Miss Annie                 Capt. Matt Rabenstein

2^nd Place Boat            2400 pts.         Big Oh                        Capt. Ronnie Fields

3^rd Place Boat             2400 pts.         Juel Marie                 

1^st Place Angler          1500 pts.         Greg Bogden              Miss Annie

2^nd Place Angler         1400 pts.         Chris Martin              Juel Marie

Top Lady Angler        600 pts.           Molly Flemming         Certifiable

First Sailfish                                       Mario Ceserini           Reward

Heaviest Fish             26 lb Wahoo   Natural          

2^nd Heaviest Fish       22 lb Dolphin  Foolish Pleasure

WINNER CATERPILLAR MANUFACTURER’S CUP               OCEAN YACHTS

For immediate release
Contact: Fred Miller
561-351-7498

2008 DOUBLE SHOT IS HISTORY!!

45^th Annual Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Release Tournament

5^th Annual Fish for Life Caterpillar Cup Billfish Tournament

The Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Release Tournament and the Fish for Life Caterpillar Cup Billfish Tournament kicked off on January 15, 2008 from Sailfish Marina on Singer Island. Assembled under the big tent were 36 tournament teams, which included many of the top anglers, captains and mates on the East Coast.

After a short meeting hosted by Gary Caputi, offshore editor of Salt Water Sportsman magazine and BUC tournament director, and Fred Miller, FFL tournament director, dinner was served and the party commenced with great food, live music and lots of tournament banter between teams.

These two great non-profit charity events share a unique format running concurrently with complimentary rules so participants can fish both tournaments simultaneously, each with its own prize structure. FFL is fish two out of three days and the BUC is fish three out of four days, both culminating in a rousing finish on Saturday, January 19^th and a sumptuous awards banquet at the exclusive Sailfish Club in Palm Beach. All proceeds from the FFL are donated for research, treatment and prevention of colon cancer and all proceeds from the BUC are donated to the Recreational Fishing Alliance to continue their work for saltwater anglers to protect fisheries and the sport we all love.

The fishing this year was intense and featured the highest number of sailfish releases of any tournaments held so far this season at 276 plus a surprise blue marlin release on day three. It was the first marlin caught in either tournament in many years and was worth bonus points.

The competition continued to heat up throughout the event with the lead changing almost daily and the final fishing day was no exception. Most of the overall winners were determined by the catches made that day and the final results were impressive to say the least.

The first place boat award in both tournaments went to the Viking 64 manned by the team headed by angler and company vice president, Pat Healey, with Capt. Mike Brady at the helm. They compiled an impressive total of release points and once again proved they are among the best dead bait trollers on the planet. You can never discount the Viking team in any billfish event.

            Todd and Sandra Kirkpatrick’s Sandman, a 58’ Spencer with Capt. Neil Orange in the tower, took second place in the BUC and third place in the FFL with an impressive tally. These live bait specialists won last year’s BUC and are always a team to be reckoned with in sailfish competitions. Wrenegade, with Capt. Jimmy Garner at the helm, took second place in the FFL and Gina Lisa, with Capt. Danny Scotti putting them on the fish, took third in the BUC.

Top angler awards in the BUC went to Mark McDevitt aboard the Gina Lisa for first; Sandra Kirkpatrick from the Sandman for second and Pat Healy on the Viking 64 in third. In the FFL angler awards were given to Pat Healy for first and Mike Bonino from the Uptick for second while Sandra Kirkpatrick took top lady angler honors in both events.

The Caterpillar Cup, which is awarded to the manufacturer whose boats have the highest aggregate total of points determined by total points divided by total number of boats of that brand entered, went to Ocean Yachts. The Buc top captain and mate awards went to the Viking 64 team of Capt. Mike Brady and mates Scott Adams and Hector Torres.

For a complete rundown of the final scores and to get more information or to enter next year’s events, go to www.buccaneercup.com and www.floridafishforlife.org.

TOURNAMENT FINAL RESULTS:

Tournament sponsors for 2008 included Cat Marine Power and their distributors Ransome, Pantropic Power and Gregory Poole; MTU and their distributors Florida Detroit Diesel Allison and Johnson & Towers; Viking Yachts; American Custom Yachts; Ocean Yachts; Miller Ford, HMY Yacht Sales; Murray Products; Awlgrip; Release Marine; Salt Water Sportsman Magazine; Geoffrey C. Smith Galleries, Inc; Black Bart International; ZF Marine; Blue Water Chairs; Christi Marine Insurance; Canyon Gear; Bill Buckland’s Fishermen’s Center; Crowder Rods; Tournament Yacht Sales; AFW/Hi-Seas; Interlux Marine Paint; Lott Bros. Tackle; Gray’s Taxidermy Fishin’ Chicks Collection.

BACK TO TOP

PALM BEACH DOUBLE SHOT
Makes Tournament History!

For immediate release:

Contact: Fred Miller 561-351-7498

The 43^rd Annual Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Tournament and the 3^rd Annual Florida Fish For Life Sailfish Tournament made history last week by bringing competition anglers a totally new and unique event.

“The idea behind the Double Shot was to format these two popular events so that the rules were the same, the dates concurrent and the schedules compatible,” said Fred Miller, FFL tournament chairman. “This gave teams the opportunity to fish both events simultaneously with only a single commitment in time and expenses.”

The initial pairing of the two tournaments attracted a wide range of sponsors, including Palm Beach’s legendary yacht builder, Rybovich as the Buccaneer Cup premiere sponsor and Caterpillar Inc. as the FFL name sponsor, and 45 of the finest yachts and fishing teams to compete. It was also the first time the Buccaneer Cup was 100% nonprofit, donating all the proceeds to the Recreational Fishing Alliance.

“To say the Double Shot format was a success is an understatement,” said Gary Caputi, Saltwater Sportsman offshore editor and chairman of this year’s Buccaneer Cup. “All but four boats signed up for both tournaments. From the captain’s meeting, through the four available fishing days, and ending with 225 people at the Sailfish Club of Palm Beach for a five-star awards dinner, this was a first class event from start to finish. Our competitors fished with a greater purpose than every before knowing that all the money generated by these tournaments was going to causes they cared about.”

At the awards dinner Fred Miller presented a check to the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania for $30,000 and another to the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation for $20,000! That is more than double the amount of money donated by the event last year. He was followed by Gary Caputi who presented a check to the Recreational Fishing Alliance in the amount of $32,000. These checks represented the proceeds from the tournaments, but additional money will be donated once the amount generated by the silent auction is finalized.

Planning for next years event is already underway and includes a questionnaire to all the captains and owners aimed at getting their input to make 2007 bigger and better. The winning boats for the two events are as follows:

43^rd Annual Buccaneer Cup                                     

1^st        Hatterascal (64 Hatteras)        1200 points*

2^nd        SEVEN (61 Viking)                   1200 points*

3^rd        Viking 68 (Viking 68)                1200 points*

*Winners were determined by time of catches

3^rd Annual Florida Fish For Life

1^st        Viking 68 (68 Viking)                1200 points

2^nd        Gina Lisa (75 Jim Smith)           1000 points

3^rd        Streaker (44 Gillikin)                 800 points

BACK TO TOP

The second annual Florida Fish for Life billfish tournament was held at the North Palm Beach Marina on January 9th to 11th. The real winners of this event were the many patients of the Nicklaus Children's Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center who received $25,000 for their cancer centers.

This year a new category of Top Boat Manufacturer was added to the tournament. The winner of that segment went to Viking Yachts of New Jersey. The prestigious Caterpillar Cup will be held by the winner for a year and then returned for next year's event. Five manufacturers competed for the trophy, including Ocean Yachts, Hatteras Yachts, Davis Yachts and Paul Spencer Yachts.

A field of highly competitive big game fisherman competed in the two-day event. The lead traded back and forth while good weather and slow fishing kept everyone close to the leaders. The Viking 56 captained by Mike Brady pulled out the victory in the last two hours. The very competitive team from the Inlet Magic chartered by Robbie Inglma placed second, followed closely by the Christi captained by Mike Hunter.

The Hatterascal captained by Terry Stansel took 1st place in the Heaviest Fish category and a close second was the Scooter team captained by Rob Spano who also placed fourth in the billfish division.

The tournament was very successful and we expect to double the funds raised at next year's event. We are a fully tax exempt Public Charity and we accept donations all year. To make a tax deductible donation, send your check to Florida Fish for Life, Inc., 125 Ebbtide Drive, North Palm Beach, Florida 33408. Visit our website at www.floridafishforlife.org.

BACK TO TOP

For Immediate Release:
January 23, 2007: Contact

Gary Caputi - Buccaneer Cup Tournament Director (732-899-9988 or caputifish@comcast.net)

Fred Miller - Fish for Life Tournament Director (561-351-7498 or fredrm@COMCAST.net)

DOUBLE SHOT A DOUBLE SUCCESS!

On January 16 captains and crews from over 40 of the finest sportfishing yachts on the East Coast gathered under the big top at Sailfish Marina for the kick off of the 2007 Palm Beach Double Shot—the simultaneous running of the 44^th Annual Buccaneer Cup and the 5^th Annual Fish for Life Sailfish Release Tournaments. This unique event was the culmination of months of planning and hard work by the tournament directors and a staff of dedicated volunteers. It resulted in four days of competitive fishing, great parties, camaraderie and big donations for the tournament’s beneficiaries.

The Buccaneer Cup, a legend in the billfishing community for over four decades, now benefits the Recreational Fishing Alliance—saltwater fishing’s acclaimed political action organization. The Fish for Life donates its proceeds to the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania and the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, both research and treatment centers for special cancers.

The captain’s meeting and accompanying party was attended by several hundred who enjoyed the food, open bar and music by Rip Tide. The Buc kicked off the next day with teams allowed to fish three of the next four days, while the FFL started on Thursday, fishing two of three days so both events would culminate on Saturday, January 20 with a five-star dinner at the exclusive Sailfish Club in Palm Beach. The overwhelming majority of teams entered both events.

Day one, Buccaneer Cup only, saw the live bait specialists on the Sandman jump off to a commanding lead with only 15 boats releasing a total of 39 fish. Ditch Digger had four on dead bait for second place and the classic Rybovich, Glory Days, trolled three for 600 points.

Day two saw 32 boats fish, but it was a tough day on the water with only 35 fish caught. Sandman took a lay day and managed to stay in first in the Buc with Streaker tying at 1200 and jumping into first place in the FFL. Anejo trolled four for 800 point and second in the FFL.

Day three dawned dark and breezy, but it didn’t do much for the fishing. A cold front was needed to get the sails snapping and it just wasn’t in the forecast. It closed with 42 fish released, Streaker surging ahead of Sandman in the Buc and staying in first in the FFL. Kids Stuff had a hot day increasing to 1400 release points, third place in the Buc and second in the FFL.

Day four and the fishing got a little hotter with the scores tightening up under bright, sunny skies. Sandman fought back into the lead pushing their points total up to 2300 while the Streaker crew did their best to keep them honest raising their points total to 2200. Close behind also at 2200 was Kids Stuff and Anejo with Catch One tallying ten releases the last day, but not enough to get into the running after weak showings earlier in the events.

The finals for the Buccaneer Cup were Sandman taking first place with all their releases on live bait; Streaker trolling their way to a strong second and Kids Stuff in third. Finals for the Fish for Life saw Anejo trolling up a first place win, Streaker in second and Kids Stuff in third.

The teams gathered that evening at the Sailfish Club where Buc tournament director and Saltwater Sportsman Offshore Editor, Gary Caputi, played host and emcee to a packed crowd of nearly 300 for an evening of celebration, great food and libation. The capper for the two tournaments was the money raised, over $50,000 by the Fish for Life for cancer research and treatment, and over $70,000 for the Recreational Fishing Alliance to continue its strong political representation of saltwater anglers. The entire event was first class from start to finish and a truly premiere billfish event. For more information and to register for next year’s Palm Beach Double Shot go to www.buccaneercup.com and www.fishforlife.org.

BACK TO TOP