OnBoard Magazine - Issue XI - Summer 2019

The One They’ve Been Waiting For August proved to be a sensational month, with two Bluewater customers posting major tournament victories. The 2018 White Marlin Open broke two world records: first was the announcement of a total purse of $5.45 million, the second was the massive $2,584,260 check awarded to the Weldor’s Ark team for their tournament winning fish. Weldor’s Ark is a 55’ Jarrett Bay which also has undergone extensive updates at Bluewater yards over the years. The team’s 83 poundwhite marlinwas brought to the scales in the final hours of the last day of the tournament and was the same weight as a fish caught the day before. Pursuant to tournament rules, what ultimately determined the winner was how the two fish were landed. The first team gaffed their fish, and the Weldor’s Ark team did not which gave them the nod. The official winner of the tournament wasn’t announced until the awards banquet the following day. Angler Pascual Jimenez said, “It’s really unbelievable, you don’t know anything until it becomes official. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. I’m excited—I never thought I’d be in first place.” The very next week proved just as exciting for the Bluewater extended family, with the Huddles of Builder’s Choice doing us proud with a huge margin of victory at the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament. Capt. Brent Gaskill and owner/angler Harris Huddle landed an incredible 911.1 lbs. blue marlin on day 1 of the event—a fish that proved impossible to unseat from the Pirate’s Cove leader board. Weighing the biggest fish and finishing first place overall with 1,922 points landed them with arms full of trophies and a giant check worth over $347,000! Our customers and friends aboard the Sea Toy came in second at Pirate’s Cove with 900 release points earning them $85,000 in winnings. “It’s still a blur honestly, I never dreamed I’d catch a fish of that size. I still can’t believe it,” says Harris. “Knowing Brent since he was a teenager, it was also very special for him to be on board for it too. I’ll never forget him getting the first look at the fish and yelling out, ‘get the gaff!’” The Pirate’s Cove win was also enough to propel them into a second place in the annual NC Governor’s Cup Series which accrues points over eight tourneys in the state each summer. Congratulations to all our dear friends and customers on your achievements this past year! The Bluewater team is so proud, and we look forward to what’s next! Weldor's Ark with one of the heftiest tournament payments in history! TOURNAMENT ROUND-UP Harris Huddle landed a 911 lbs. fish to win the Pirate's Cove Billfish Tournament 29 SUMMER 2019