Republic Bank is the new title sponsor of Barbados’ premier International Game Fishing event.
The 2023 Republic Bank Sir Charles Williams International Tournament will be returning to the popular Port St. Charles Marina in St. Peter, from April 11 to April 15.
It’s estimated that some 30 boats and 150 anglers from Barbados, the Caribbean, North America and the United Kingdom will participate in the tournament which is organised by the Barbados Game Fishing Association (BGFA).
The teams will compete to see who can land the biggest catch – whether it be blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, spearfish, dolphin, wahoo, or yellowfin tuna.
The tournament is a qualifying event for The Offshore World Championship in Costa Rica – the world’s most competitive sports fishing event, and the winning boat will get an automatic qualification.
President of the BGFA, Paul Hamel-Smith thanked Republic Bank for coming on board and helping to make the vision of the association’s new committee a reality.
The previous competition was a much smaller event, held at the Speightstown Marina. However, thanks to the sponsorship, the association has again secured the popular Port St. Charles Marina.
“Coming on as title sponsor, there has been a larger contribution than in past years by Republic Bank and that has really facilitated the new committee to see out their vision for the tournament of creating not just a fishing competition but also a family event and a party event, a whole occasion that spans the full week of the tournament,” he said.
“It is the best venue in the southern Caribbean by a long shot. Being able to host our tournament there is a huge attraction for local, regional and foreign participants. Republic Bank coming on board has been huge to really securing that space for the tournament which, other than the fishing which is very good, has been a massive draw for the tournament over the years.”
Hamel-Smith also revealed that the Blue Marlin record prize would be given to any boat that catches a fish weighing more than the existing record of 524.5 lbs. That boat will win $50,000.
The venue will be open to the public throughout the tournament, with daily onshore activities for both onlookers and participants.
Managing Director of Republic Bank and chief executive officer, Anthony Clerk said they were honoured to support such an event.
“We have sponsored a winning vessel before in this tournament and that win was quite thrilling for us. This year, we are very excited to throw our full support behind this well-run and much-loved event, which, along with our local anglers, sees regional and international anglers eagerly returning to our waters to test their mettle against the sea and each other.
“Through our sponsorship, we hope to provide even greater opportunities to further enhance and develop this competition, cementing its place on the global calendar of game fishing events,” Clerk said.
Registration for the event, along with the Captain’s Briefing, takes place on April 11 at the marina.
(PR)
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