World Sailfish Championship

The World Sailfish Championship calls itself “the world’s richest sailfish tournament,” a double entendre that applies to its prize money and the high-society individuals who compete in the event every April in Key West, Florida.

“Everybody thinks fishing is a good ol’ boy sport until you see the chairmen of [Fortune 500 companies] out there fishing our tournament every single year,” said Chris King, president of Executive Adventures, which runs the event.

Tournament organizers estimate the boats that enter the tournament spend $500,000 a year on fishing, or $75,000 on the World Sailfish Championship alone. That total includes a $7,500 entry fee to compete for the $100,000 first-place prize and another $25,000 to $30,000 to enter the Calcutta, an official winner-take-all side bet that awarded just over $1 million last year to the boat that brought in the most sailfish in the least amount of time. The winning boat must take a polygraph test with questions on angling and release procedures, and species of fish.

Seventy-five boats entered the 2009 contest, a five-day party that included an entertainment venue the size of a football field, gourmet food, top-shelf liquor, and performances by national musical acts. Organizers estimate 40,000 to 60,000 people visited the area over a five-day period this past April.

“Everything that we do, we do in line with what you would see at a PGA (Tour) event,” King said.

Retired Army Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf and retired Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula serve as honorary chairmen for the event, which has donated $2 million to charity over the last seven years. Other industry titans including auto dealer and NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick, and Bob Rich (No. 215 on the Forbes 400), fish in the tournament. So do athletes and celebrities including Johnny Bench, Wade Boggs and Carson Daly.

Sponsorships range from $30,000 to $250,000. Inventory includes entry into the tournament, signage and hospitality. Prices increase with add-ons like TV ads on Versus and securing a celebrity to fish with your group. Most sponsors are endemic, but the event attracts national brands like Bud Select, Lexus, Kohler and Redken.

Organizers this year created the six-event Sailfish Pro Series, a points race where 18 boats compete for a $100,000 first-place prize and a crystal trophy. The Scatter Brothers, winners of a Sundance award, are filming a reality show that follows the camaraderie of the anglers as well as the competition.

Said King: “Think NASCAR meets ‘Deadliest Catch.’”

World Sailfish Championship
World Sailfish Championship 2010
April 13th thru 17th
Key West, FL
(866) 550-5580

Friday | April 26, 2024

World Sailfish Championship

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