Sponsored by:

 

The West Palm Beach Fishing Club's (WPBFC) venerable Silver Sailfish Derby, headquartered out of the Sailfish Marina on Singer Island, will set sail January 4th through 7th, 2017. This will be the club's 80th running of the prestigious event. Established in 1935, the Derby is recognized as 'The World's Oldest Sailfish Tournament' and continues to attract some of the best sailfish anglers, captains and crews in the sport.

The tournament is expected to draw approximately 40 boats and 200 anglers who will be vying for some of sailfishing's most coveted awards. Part of what makes the Derby so special are the traditions and the people behind them. Many Derby awards are sponsored by families who have been associated with the event for decades. The Derby's top angler award is the Mrs. Henry R. Rea trophy, a magnificent silver sailfish sculpture that dates back to the event's origin. Henry Rea was a WPBFC supporter and seasonal resident of Palm Beach who underwrote the spectacular trophy to honor his wife. The Rea Trophy remains one of the crown jewels in all of angling. The Top Lady Angler trophy is sponsored by the Hampp Family in memory of Rose Hampp, who won the honor in the 1957 Derby along with many other awards throughout her accomplished angling career. The Louis S. Boski award for Outstanding Angling Achievement honors the late Lou Boski, an active WPBFC member who set the Atlantic sailfish single day catch record of 83 releases in 1980. Other prizes include the Top Small Boat trophy, Top Tag Team, daily angler and daily boat awards, and overall boat and angler awards. A Junior Angler trophy has been added to this year's event. To help commemorate the 80th anniversary milestone some of this year's trophies are framed vintage posters from the 1956 Derby.

Those who are not fishing the event can follow tournament boat standings on the Derby's mobile friendly virtual scoreboard. The Derby scoreboard will go live just prior to the event and can be found on the WPBFC official website.

Photo's from the tournament are routinely posted on Instagram at #SilverSailfishDerby. Proceeds from the event benefit the WPBFC's many conservation and education initiatives. For registration and additional details on the Silver Sailfish Derby contact the WPBFC at (561) 832-6780 or visit:

Palm Beach Sailing Club invites you to join us for a special dinner meeting with musician and sailor Donna Lange on Wednesday January 11, 2017. Donna completed her 2nd circumnavigation alone in 2016. In addition to being a musician/sailor/registered nurse she is the Chairman of OceansWatch, North America, a non-profit 501c3 charitable organization that works with sailors, divers and scientists to assist with reef guardian programs, coral reef restorations and sustainable lifestyles for isolated island communities. The evening will begin with dinner and music and then a slideshow presentation.

- Annual Meeting & Symposium -

24th & 25th January 2017

"Developing a Skilled Workforce for Sustainable Growth"

The ABBRA Symposium is a conference focusing on the issues that affect boat builders, boat repair, boat service, service companies, and associated businesses. It is an opportunity to build relationships with other professionals that share common interests and challenges.

LOCATIONS:

Renaissance Cruise Port Hotel for the Annual Meeting, Awards, Marine Service Manger Certification and Cocktail Party. Address: 1617 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.

Broward County Conference Center for the Day-long symposium. Address: 1950 Eisenhower Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

WHAT:

A day to focus on some of the most important issues that are critical for the growth of boatyard and boat-building businesses, preceded the night before by ABBRA's Annual Meeting and reception, Awards ceremony, and Certified Marine Service Managers certification.

WHO:

This conference is for owners, operators, and managers of boat building, boat repair, boat service, and associated businesses. It is designed to promote professionalism in our industry, inspire you to consider necessary changes to improve productivity, and determine what you can do today that will have a positive impact on the future results of your business.

Tuesday 24th January, 2017 - 6 pm to 9 pm

Annual Meeting, ABBRA Awards, Marine Service Managers Awards and Cocktail Party

Wednesday 25th January, 2017 - 8 am to 5 pm

Day-Long Symposium

SYMPOSIUM TOPICS:

* Leading a Multi-Generational Workforce

* On-the Job Earn & Learn Training Models

* Finding and Building your Future Workforce

* State of the Economy

* How to Build a Sector Partnership

* The Future of 3D Printing

* Financial Management for the Non-Financial Manager

"Phil joined MIASF in February 2014, and he and the board have collaborated on a long list of successes, including execution of a 30-year agreement with the producers of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Show Management; completion of the dredge of the Intracoastal Waterway; institution of standard operating procedures for the FEC bridge; passage of state legislation that caps the sales tax on refits and repairs; inclusion of marine industry companies in the annual South Florida Business Journal Book of Lists; the first Foreign Trade Zone recreational boating designation in the United States; and enhanced community engagement with a Habitat for Humanity partnership to build the first-ever two-story duplex in Fort Lauderdale, to name a few," MIASF board chairwoman Danielle Butler said in a statement.

"We are truly fortunate to have had Phil's leadership for the past few years. His vision and guidance have ideally positioned the association to leverage exciting opportunities in 2017 and beyond," she said.

"I have loved working in this capacity with an amazing team of people, and I am proud of what MIASF has achieved," Purcell said. "We have created a culture of high integrity and a success-driven, highly adaptive, forward-thinking mindset. With an $11.5 billion economic impact, the marine industry has a seat at the table to help address important issues such as transportation, infrastructure, job creation, trade and philanthropy."

The MIASF said the announcement will allow for a leadership pursuit and seamless transition during the next 12 months. The board has appointed an executive search committee to begin the process.

Trade Only Today

The Marine Industries Association of South Florida said Monday that it received approval from the Foreign Trade Zone Board and Fort Lauderdale FTZ No. 241 for a 16-site marine industry subzone.

A subzone is a group of sites established for a specific use. The MIASF said each of the 16 sites in the special-purpose subzone will operate as a commercial marina, a marina parts and components business or a yacht repair facility.

The MIASF said Foreign Trade Zone restricted-access sites are considered to be outside U.S. Customs territory. As such, they can defer, reduce or eliminate customs duties on foreign products.

"This is a first of its kind in the United States," MIASF executive director Phil Purcell said in a statement. "Fort Lauderdale is already known as the yachting capital of the world and will now be known for introducing the first FTZ subzone dedicated to the recreational boating industry."

"As a leading economic engine that contributes $8.8 billion to our area, the success of the marine industry is directly tied to the long-term growth, development and prosperity of Fort Lauderdale," Mayor John P. "Jack" Seiler said.

"Providing economic incentives through our Foreign Trade Zone program will enable marine industry businesses to free up important resources that can be used to expand operations, increase revenue and create additional jobs and career opportunities for our community while also serving as a valuable tool for future business attraction and retention," Seiler said.

"Strengthening our marine industry by creating an environment that will encourage more business is the key reason to pursue Foreign Trade Zone activity," said Karen Reese, FTZ administrator for Fort Lauderdale's FTZ No. 241. "The city expects to continue expanding the marine industry business through FTZs."

"Now that the initial filing for FTZ status has been approved, we are excited to begin working with each marina or marine distributor site to activate in compliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection regulations," said Gary Goldfarb, chief strategy officer of the Interport Group of Companies.

"This is a monumental achievement for the city of Fort Lauderdale, the marine industry and the community as a whole.  There are so many more options for the industry under a FTZ, and as a result we expect this will be a very active sector for jobs for years to come."