Goin' Raptor Wins The Sailfish Tournament

Team Goin' Raptor wins The Sailfish Tournament with a total five sailfish releases.

Despite an early misfortune, the Goin' Raptor team hung on to win The Sailfish Tournament in Palm Beach, Florida. The one-day shootout was held January 14, 2017 in Palm Beach, Florida and attracted a field of eight boats, a 60 percent increase over the inaugural event that was held last year. Capt. Will Sabayrac and his team had what they thought was a triple-header of sailfish hooked up first thing in the morning but the first fish ate two live baits, which disqualified it. They went on to release the other two, plus a doubleheader and a single later in the day for a total of five sailfish, good for first place. Sabayrac fishes from a Contender 33T center console powered by twin Yamaha outboards.

Brian Komer's BeachKomer was second in the tournament: Komer rounded up four buddies and fished on his 25-foot Competition center console, where they released three sailfish. Chip Sheehan rounded out the top three on Reel Easy. His family team caught a sailfish in the last few minutes of the event – they showed up at the awards in their foul-weather gear.

The Sailfish Tournament was proudly sponsored by DV8 Motorsports, Viking Service Center, American Custom Yacht, Venture by American and Marine Max. Approximately 120 people showed up at the awards celebration, held at PGA Marina and Boating Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where a great time was had by all in attendance. The event supported two important charities: the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation and Paws for Patriots, an organization that provides service animals for veterans with PTSD.

The Sailfish Tournament is produced by Fly Zone Fishing. For more information on the event, visit facebook.com/thesailfishtournament or contact tournament director Robert “Fly” Navarro at 561-310-9214