ABACO, BAHAMAS, 06/11 - Team Galati took top honors at the 28th Annual Treasure Cay Billfish Tournament, held June 12-17 at Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Marina, Abaco Bahamas. Owned by Chris Galati, Holmes Beach, FL, Team Galati scored 2,500 points with four blue marlin and a sailfish, winning Top Team, Top Release Team and other honors. They released a blue on Monday, a blue and a sailfish on Tuesday and two blues on Thursday, beating 11 teams and 60 anglers.
Boneshaker, owned by Joe Lehner, Stuart, FL finished second with a blue, a white and two sailfish for a total of 1,000 points. Third place went to Ticket, owned by Jim Jensen, Satellite Beach, FL, for releasing a blue and a white marlin 800 points.
Top Angler and Top Release Angler went to Ed Dwyer Cocoa Beach, FL, on the Ticket. Team Galati's Joe Galati, Jr. won Top Junior Angler for releasing one blue. Team Galati's second junior angler, Christian Hightower, Holmes Beach FL, released a blue but was trumped by time for the Junior Angler award.
Second place angler went to Josh Herbert, Ponte Vedra, FL for a blue marlin release and the first blue of the tournament on Pandemonium. Darren Plymale, Odessa, FL on Team Galati took Third Place Angler for a blue marlin release.
Ticket took two top honors in the Fun Fish division. Top Tuna went to Karl Schneider, Satellite Beach, FL for a 33.2 lb. yellowfin. Garett Van Orman, Rockledge, FL took Top Dolphin with a 37 lb. fish.
The TCBT is a modified release tournament with four days of fishing, parties, dinners and fun competitions. A highlight of TCBT's social events was a fabulous dock party, with food specialties including fried lionfish cooked by the anglers on the lay day. On Thursday was an entertaining junkanoo, performed by the children of the Treasure Cay Primary School, a beneficiary of the TCBT.
The winner of the TCBT receives an invitation to fish the IGFA Offshore World Championship. Last year's TCBT winner, Kilowett, took Second Place Angler in the May, 2011 IGFA Championship in Cabo San Lucas. Fishing on Team Treasure Cay Billfish Tournament, Kilowett owner, Eddie Flack, Lighthouse Point, FL successfully competed against a field of 59 teams and 282 anglers from more than 25 countries.
Information and photos from the 2011 event are available at www.treasurecayfishing.com, with live scoring provided by www.catchstat.com. Information is also on Treasure Cay's Facebook fan page. Sponsors included Chevron Bahamas Limited, Continental Connection/Gulfstream International Airlines (official airline of the tournament), Gilbey's, Kalik and Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Marina.
Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Marina offers 78 harborside hotel rooms, including one, two or three bedroom suites, a 150-slip marina, 3½ mile powdery white sand beach, 18-hole golf course, four tennis courts, swimming pool, Spinnaker Restaurant, Tipsy Seagull Bar, Coco Beach Bar, reception center and a beach gazebo available for sea-side weddings and other functions. The Treasure Houses on the beach, formerly only for long-term rentals, are offered for stays as short as three days.
For information and reservations, contact US representative, Treasure Cay Services Inc., 2301 S. Federal Hwy., Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 33316-3949, phone 1-800-327-1584 or 954-525-7711, email: info@treasurecay.com or visit www.treasurecay.com.
# # #
Photo captions (please click here for high res photos. Captions can be found on this website in the comments section.)
Team Galati, Holmes Beach, FL receives the First Place Team award for the 28th Annual Treasure Cay Billfish Tournament, June 12-17, 2011, Abaco, Bahamas. (L. to R.) Left to right: Drew Hill, Mike Kasten, Christian Hightower, Capt.Chris Galati, Joseph Galati Jr. Daniel Menard, Darren Plymale, Mike Stein, Joe Galati. Photo Credit: Paula Fishman I www.sunphoto.biz
Boneshaker, Stuart, FL receives the Second Place Team award for the 28th Annual Treasure Cay Billfish Tournament, June 12-17, 2011, Abaco, Bahamas. (L. to R.) Capt. Scott Fawcett, Owner/Angler Joe Lehner, Mates / Anglers Brandon Walton, Kyle Francis.Photo Credit: Paula Fishman I www.sunphoto.biz
Ticket, Satellite Beach, FL receives the Third Place Team award for the 28th Annual Treasure Cay Billfish Tournament, June 12-17, 2011, Abaco, Bahamas. (L. to R.) Jim Jensen, Garett Van Orman, Sabine Kirchner of Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Marina and Ed Dwyer. Photo Credit: Paula Fishman I www.sunphoto.biz
Joe Galati, Jr., Holmes, Beach, FL wins top Junior Angler for Team Galati at the 28th Annual Treasure Cay Billfish Tournament, June 12-17, 2011, Abaco, Bahamas. To the right is Sabine Kirchner, Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Marina. Photo Credit: Paula Fishman I www.sunphoto.biz
Tournament, June 12-17, Abaco, Bahamas
