13LUES - AH Riise

A.H. Riise BVI Billfish Tournament
Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Island
www. bvibillfishtournament. corn
-- _
BEAUTY
RND THE
13LUES
One of the most enjoyable
facets of the sport of tournament
bilifishing is the ability
to travel to some of the
world's most scenic location]
in search of the world's most
powerful gamefish. Without a
doubt one of the favorites of
many anglers has to be the
British Virgin Islands. ^
By Sam White
he BVIs are close enough to be
easily accessible from just about
anywhere in the continental
United States but are far and
T away some the most stunningly
beautiful islands anywhere. It's a vision of
idyllic paradise, as c rystalline waters swirl
past palm-studded islands. Throw in a rum
punch and a bit of steel drum music and
it's paradise found. But the real cherry in
the topping is the fact that the marlin-rich
waters of the North Drop lie just a short
distance offshore. For those marlin-addled
among us, it's an easy draw—nine times
out of ten, when the line comes out of the
clip on the Drop, there's a big blue dog airing
it out on the other end.
While the British Virgin Islands consist of
dozens of named islands and islets, some
still uninhabited, most of the action centers
on the primary ones, with Virgin
Gorda being the most famous of them all.
Most recognized as a world-famous sailing
destination, it's taken a bit of getting used
to by the locals to see outrigger tips scattered
among the sailboat masts but things
are catching on nicely. In fact, establishing
a thriving sportfishing destination was one
of the underlying reasons for the formation
of the AH Riise BVI Billfish Tournament.
It's become a summertime tradition for a
good number of teams, roaming the
waters of the Caribbean from the Bahamas
to the US and British Virgin Islands to
Puerto Rico and beyond in search of blue
marlin. Among these are some of the best
in the game, especially when it comes to
these Caribbean blues. This year, 19 of
these signed up to participate in the AH
Riise event, just a couple boats off last
year's totals. And thanks to some great
fishing, those numbers should trend
upward next year.
Witness George Lorton's Therapy team.
After Day One, they were in the lead by the
sli mmest of margins, the time of release,
with three blue marlin releases. "The conditions
were ideal, with 10- to 15-knots of
wind and calm seas," reported Therapy's
captain, Ray Walters. "We saw fi ve blue
marlin and ended up catching three. It was
34 www.FishWBS.com

a great day for us." While a three-blue day
would be phenomenal anywhere else, it
was a feat here that was matched by a
second team, Jesus Montano's Blue Bird,
one of the Puerto Rican boats in attendance.
Both had 15oo points after Day
One, with two other boats in second place
with two blues apiece. For the day the
fleet released 18 blue marlin.
After a long day on the water, the teams
were treated to a cocktail party back
ashore hosted by Brown-Foreman, featuring
their brands Jack Daniels, Southern
Comfort, Finlandia and Sonoma Cutrer
and 5 Rivers wines, followed by a sumptuous
dinner also courtesy of Brown-
Forman.
An interesting side note concerning tournament
alliance—once again this year, the
AH Riise event partnered with the San
Juan International Billfish Tournament
with an arrangement that the top team
from each event would have the opportunity
to compete at no charge in the other.
New for this season is an overall top
angler award between the two events, furthering
the communication and participation
between the highly competitive
Caribbean teams. In response, a good
number of pa rticipating boats in this
year's AH Riise event hailed from Puerto
Rico.
Once again the boats headed for the productive
waters off the island of Anegada
and the No rth Drop, and once again the
billfish cooperated nicely. By the end of
the day, two boats had moved into a tie
with the Day One leaders. Jay Johnston's
Ay Caramba and Rod Windley's Gulf
Rascal each caught three blues while
Therapy and Blue Bird did not find a way
to move ahead in the standings. Several
others were within striking distance.
That evening, another new twist was
added in the form of a drink competition
among the boat teams, with the only rules
being the required use of Finlandia, Jack
Daniels or Southern Comfort. The winner
would receive one free room night courtesy
of the host resort, the Bitter End
Yacht Club. And while they're better
known for catching more than their fair
share of blue marlin, it was Gray Ingram's
Big Oh team that showed their prowess at
the bar, winning this year's event with
their concoction aptly named Beetlejuice.
After a relaxing lay day spent cruising the
neighboring islands, including a true
Caribbean lobster bake at tournament
director Lawrence Weatley's Anegada Reef
Hotel, the final day's fishing proved that
it's not over until the final bell rings.
Jay Johnston and the Puerto Rico-based Ay
Caramba walked away with the gold this
year based on the strength of their 2000
points from four blue marlin releases.
They finished ahead of Gray Ingram's Big
Oh and the Lortons on the Therapy based
on time of release. For the win, Johnston
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Billfishing Magazine 35

Gray
Ingram's Big
Oh just
missed first
place, settling
into the tournament's
runner-up
position.
• •
7ia
4
George Lorton, second from right, led the
Therapy team to a third place finish.
received a Rolex timepiece as well as an engraved
Waterford crystal bowl, Woodford Reserve wine,
Seabourne Airlines tickets and a complimentary entry into
the San Juan tournament in Puerto Rico. "This was a first
class tournament in every way," he said. "The fishing was
fun and the Bitter End was the perfect host. This was my
first time here and I will surely return many more times in
the future."
Y e^'e
While on Virgin Gorda, the place to stay is the
tournament host, the Bitter End Yacht Club. It's
earned a reputation as the Caribbean's premier luxury
water sports resort, uniquely situated along a
mile of lush gardens and beaches that front the
protected anchorage of the North Sound.
The several dozen rooms are situated bungalowstyle
along a low cliffside, each offering some of
the most stunning oceanfront views imaginable.
The style is casual elegance, where guests can relax
in a safe and welcoming environment and truly
relax.
While the marina complex is small by U.S. standards,
it does offer plenty of slips for visiting boats
along with all the amenities that traveling anglers
require. And it's tough to beat the geography: just 12
miles from Tortola, 30 miles from St. Thomas and
75 miles from Puerto Rico. www.beyc.com .
Following the awards, Sebastiano Paiewonsky-Cassinelli,
vice president of AH Riise, presented a check for $40,000
to the Honourable Ralph T. O'Neal, Premier and Tourism
Minister of the British Virgin Islands, for charities in the
BVIs. This makes nearly $ioo,000 in charitable contributions
in the two short years this event has been in
existence.
So for anyone wishing to experience one of the most
beautiful islands in the Caribbean combined with outstanding
blue marlin fishing, head for the BVIs. It's beauty
and the blues.