:: PRESS RELEASE ::

69 releases in four fishing days
Islamar boat wins the International Billfish Tournament
of Club Nautico de San Juan
Sunday, August 21, 2010

The boat Islamar won the International Billfish Tournament with six releases, followed by Tati Way boat with five releases. Three other boats scored four marlins each (50/50, Ambush and Gaviota) in the four days of competition which ended with 69 releases.

Local angler Federico "Fico" Lopez Juarbe retained his top position as angler with three releases or 1,200 points, followed by Thomas Cordero, female angler Cristina Muñoz, Miguel A. Donato and Luis Alberto Rubi. In fact, seven female anglers had an extraordinary participation. Cristina Muñoz released three, Carolina Figueredo released two, and five other anglers released a fish each.

Joe Clark, from BVI and Scrub Island, Jay Iqbal from Pakistan and Clark Smith from Florida won as the first, second and third positions as International Anglers. As international teams won first place USA (Thomas Cordero, Bill Crawford and Jamie Rezor); Honduras (Rigoberto Alvarenga, Luis A. Rubi and Herbert Soto) and British Virgin Islands (Clark, Julio Betances and Alexis Barbosa Seijo).

Interclub Teams winners –Venezuela’s Laguna Mar Club, Puerto Rico’s Cangrejos Yacht Club and Club Náutico de San Juan (CNSJ) —were represented by William Morrison, Osvaldo de Leon and Jose Luis Ramirez fishing for Venezuela; Donald McLeod, Salvador Egea, Jr., and Manuel Matienzo fishing for Cangrejos Yacht Club; and Miguel Donato, René de la Cruz and Jose Diaz Umpierre for CNSJ.

"We had a superb tournament with 69 released and 12 competing countries," said Frankie Mirandes, Tournament Chairman.

"Puerto Rico is and remains one of the top marlin destinations in the world. We were able to prove that with satellites information and other data we can guide participating boats towards the fishing hot spots with plenty of strikes, basically concentrated in those coordinates suggested by the Organizing Committee," said Mirandes. “Now we begin planning next year’s edition and keep our efforts across the world to bring the best deep-sea anglers to Puerto Rico."
Joe Clark, from BVI Scrub Island, Jay Iqbal from Pakistan and Clark Smith from Florida won the first three positions as International Anglers.

International teams which won first place: USA (Thomas Cordero, Bill Crawford and Jamie Rezor); Honduras (Rigoberto Alvarenga, Luis A. Rubi and Herbert Soto) and British Virgin Islands (Clark, Julio Betances and Alexis Barbosa Seijo).

Interclub Teams winners –Venezuela’s Laguna Mar Club, Puerto Rico’s Cangrejos Yacht Club and Club Náutico de San Juan (CNSJ) —were represented by William Morrison, Osvaldo de Leon and Jose Luis Ramirez fishing for Venezuela; Donald McLeod, Salvador Egea, Jr., and Manuel Matienzo fishing for Cangrejos Yacht Club; and Miguel Donato, René de la Cruz and Jose Diaz Umpierre for CNSJ.

Our Attributes

From picking up international anglers at the airport, welcoming them and taking them to their hotels to a wide array of activities, every Club member knows that the Tournament is the Club’s flag event of the year. Again, Marely Gutierrez, Tournament coordinator, enjoyed it to the fullest.

The "Marlin International Dancers" delighted all those present at the traditional "Fiesta Típica," which this year turned itself into a "Disco Party". The Club changed into a disco music, 1980s ambiance and décor, and everyone had a batch. About 30 members of the Organizing Committee wore shiny gold or silver robes.

The Tournament received international anglers as Joan Vernon on the Tijereta, Wally and Margie Adams on the Fishing Machine, Diane Locke, and other boat owners as Robb Brownin from Florida, and Jose “Pepe” Anton from Ecuador.

From IGFA, Eric Combast and Lesley Arico stayed throughout the week, and Rob Krammer, IGFA President, flew to San Juan to specifically assist to the IGFA fundraising activity which is held annually as part of the Tournament.

From The Billfish Foundation, Ellen Peel, president and Elliott Stark, science and policy specialist, were present.

The Tournament was also enjoyed by Don Kipnis, Hill Crawford III and wife, Charles Forman and wife, William "Billy" Henne of Panama and wife, Jay Iqbal of Pakistan, Craig Keneipp, Bill McGough and wife, Bruce McKee and wife, Jaime Resor and wife, Che Kozina of Guatemala, Juan Alayo from Peru, Xavier Perez from Ecuador, as well Joe Clark from BVI, Tim Choate, Sam White, and Rick from Rick Bogart Studios.

More information, photos, tournament history and videos at www.sanjuaninternational.com or call 787-722-0177.