The Costa Offshore World Championship presented by Continental, held Sunday, April 24 - Friday, April 29 brought 37 teams with 168 anglers from 18 different countries to Quepos Costa Rica, all with hopes of winning the coveted title of Offshore World Champions. This year’s competition had great fishing with a total of 673 billish released including 606 sailfish, 65 blue marlin, 1 black marlin and 1 striped marlin for an average of 18.19 billfish per team.
The teams spend four days on the water fishing out of Marina Pez Vela aboard a different Costa Rica flagged charter boat each day including the world class Maverick Yachts game boats. The tournament anglers follow International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) angling & tackle rules targeting marlin, sailfish, tuna and dorado using video verification to earn billfish release points. Tuna and dorado must be 25 pounds or more with teams limited to weighing two per species per day to earn additional team points and awards. The competitors represent an international group of offshore teams that earned an invitation through OWC qualifying events. The competition has a demanding format requiring angling skill to convert the bites into catches. Winning the Costa Offshore World Championship presented by Continental, represents one of the most exclusive titles in tournament fishing.
Sitting in 6th place heading into the final day of fishing, the team from Kenya would need all the luck to place in the tournament let alone win the competition. The marlin magnets from Kenya managed to release 8 blue marlin, setting a daily record for the tournament, ultimately scoring a total of 8300 points from 14 sailfish and 11 blue marlin releases to pull off the biggest come from behind win in the history of the tournament. The team was elated as they celebrated the win during the OWC gala awards banquet.
Congratulations to the Watamu Fishing Festival, team 33 from Kenya including Florian Biziere, Steve Harries and Geoff Bell. The team received a mountain of prizes including the Championship Rings by VanMark Jewelry Designers, Bodo Muche Studio bronze trophies, Guy Harvey limited edition prints, Guy Harvey Championship Apparel, Costa sunglasses, YETI Ramblers, Garmin Quatix watches, King Sailfish Mounts trophies, Penn reels, Flor De Caña Rum, Big-T Lures and AFTCO tackle. Steve Harries was top angler for the tournament releasing 6 sailfish and 5 blue marlin with teammate Florian Biziere earning second place angler honors also releasing 6 sailfish and 5 blue marlin in the tournament. As 2022 Champions, the team has the opportunity to apply for the Offshore World Championship for many years to come.
The 2002 OWC Champions from New Smyrna Beach, Florida USA decided to attend this year’s competition to celebrate their twenty years anniversary since their win in Cabo San Lucas. The team was incredibly consistent battling the whole way with an impressive 10 sailfish releases on the final day to end up with a total of 7987.20 points from 32 sailfish, three blue marlin releases and two weighed dorado including a 58.40 and 28.80. The team including Frank Schaaf, Buddy Moore, John Lloyd, Scott Laney and Jessey Rudolph received the 2nd place team gold pendants by VanMark Jewelry Designers, Guy Harvey limited edition prints, Costa sunglasses, YETI Ramblers, Garmin Quatix watches, Penn reels, Flor De Caña Rum, Big-T Lures and AFTCO tackle.
This year’s third place team qualified by winning the Giricic Tournament in Croatia. The team of Croatian anglers including Tibor Mladinc, Bosko Stipoljev, Boris Gruica and Pero Sare needed to pull off some final minute heroics converting a double header of sailfish in the final two minutes of the competition to make the stage. The four angler team scored 7100 points from 28 sailfish and 3 blue marlin releases and received the 3rd place silver pendants by VanMark Jewelry Designers, Guy Harvey limited edition prints, Costa sunglasses, YETI Ramblers, Garmin Quatix watches, Penn reels, Flor De Caña Rum, Big-T Lures and AFTCO tackle. For their finish, the team also received an invitation to compete in the 2023 Championship.
Top Six Anglers
1st Angler: Steve Harries from Kenya – scoring 3700-points from 6 sails and 5 blue marlin releases
2nd Angler: Florian Biziere from Kenya - scoring 3700-points from 6 sails and 5 blue marlin releases
3rd Angler: Rafael Abohbot from Angola – scoring 3600-points from 13 sailfish, one blue marlin and one black marlin release.
4th Angler: Elisangela Pina from Portugal– scoring 3100-points from 8 sailfish and 3 blue marlin releases.
5th Angler: Eurico Soares from Brazil – scoring 2865.70-points from 9 sailfish, two blue marlin releases and two weighed dorado including 30.10 and 29.60.
6th Angler: Jessey Rudolph from Florida USA scoring-2558.40-points from 10 sailfish, 1 blue marlin release and a weighed 58.40 dorado
1st Place Dorado – 58.40-pounds caught by Jessey Rudolph from Florida, USA
2nd Place Dorado –- 56.10 -pounds caught by Stephen Manwell from Jamaica
3rd Place Dorado – 50.20 -pounds caught by Caj Clausen from Portugal
Top Boat and Crew Based on best three days of fishing out of four.
1st Place Crew scoring 7074.60 – points: Crush Em, 48 Ocean captain Alejandro Arrieta with mate Maverix Poras
2nd Place Crew scoring 6500-points: Vitamin Sea, 38’ Tiara captained by Guillermo Santamaria with Mate Christian Mora
3rd Place Crew scoring 6400-points: Fire Fly, 42 Maverick captained by Franklin Arrieta with mate Roberto Reyes.
The Costa Offshore World Championship presented by Continental is sponsored by many industry leading companies including Costa sunglasses, Marina Pez Vela, Continental Tire, YETI, Guy Harvey, Parador Resort & Spa, Garmin, Maverick Yachts, Bodo Muche Studio, AFTCO, Flor de Caña, IGFA, King Sailfish Mounts, Pacifico Travel Services, Outdoor America, Imperial Beer, 2Costa Rica Real Estate, VanMark Jewelry Designers, Marlin, Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Big-T Lures, Diesel Premier, Penn, Hilton’s Realtime Navigator, IWS ScaleMaster and Tropic Star Lodge.
Congratulations to all our teams who participated in the 2022 Costa Offshore World Championship presented by Continental. Save the Date for 2023, Sunday, April 16 - Friday, April 21.