Quepos, Costa Rica – April 14-19
This year’s running of the Costa Offshore World Championship in Quepos, Costa Rica was a huge success by any measure, with 42 teams from 24 countries and six continents competing to be named the globe’s Offshore Champion. The field of 198 anglers released 699 billfish over four days, averaging 16.7 billfish releases per team. The winning team, Marlin Rio from Brazil, released 33 sailfish for 6,600 points and the victory.
To win the OWC, competitors must best a field of anglers who are themselves champions, having qualified for attendance by winning or placing in a qualifying event within the prior year.
“The OWC truly is unique in this world,” Marlin Group CEO David Ritchie said to the assembled anglers on the event’s opening night. “You can’t buy your way here. You have to earn your way here. Each of you who are here today are champions already, and this week, one of you will fish your way to the top of this impressive field, a pinnacle achievement in big-game fishing.”
While Costa Rica is well-known for its vibrant culture, lush natural scenery and friendly locals—as well as the unrivaled excitement of its offshore fishing action—this Central American gem really pulled out all the stops for this year’s running. The Costa Rica Tourism Institute, Instituto Costarricense de Turismo, joined title sponsor, Costa, to host four days of head-to-head competition amid one of the most consistent billfish fisheries on the planet.
Once fishing commenced out of tournament host Marina Pez Vela each day, participants enjoyed a classic Costa Rican bite, with plenty of sailfish in the baits in virtually flat-calm tropical conditions. The fishing actually improved during each of the four days, with the fleet releasing 119 billfish on Day One, 124 on Day Two, 184 on Day Three and a whopping 272 on Day Four. For the tournament, there were 686 Pacific sailfish and 13 marlin released in four days of competition.
While Brazil has always fielded a strong contingent of teams for the Costa Offshore Championship, 2024 proved to be an exceptional one for the South American nation. Emerging victorious and representing the Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro was the Marlin Rio team of Pedro Guimarães, Luis Felipe Guimarães, André Mattos, Alexandre Cabral and Alberto Lorenzo. Proving that consistency is a key component to victory, they steadily marched their way through the leaderboard. A slow start on Day One with just four sailfish releases led to an improvement on Day Two with six, then 11 more sails on Day Three. Saving their best effort for the final day, Marlin Rio vaulted to victory with 12 sailfish releases on the fourth and final day for a total of 6,600 points. In addition to a lifetime invitation to defend their title, tournament director Jennifer Dudas presented the team with gold Championship rings from VanMark Jewelry Designers and will also be the first team represented on the new OWC Perpetual Trophy, on permanent display at Marina Pez Vela.
In second place was another Brazilian entry, representing the Yacht Clube da Bahia. Hernani lopes de Sá Neto, Ricardo Uanus Balazeiro, Ricardo Harth Balazeiro, Breno Murai and Jose Roberto Martinez Do Canto combined to release 28 sailfish, good for 5,600 points. They brought home the prestige as well as armloads of trophies and prizes to their home port of Salvador, Brazil.
Finishing in third was the team representing the 2008 OWC Champions: Audrey Koocher, Matt McLean, Robert Collins and John Domanic. They released 26 sailfish and landed a 21.18-pound dorado for a total of 5,221.18 points. They also took home first place in the tournament’s new Billfish Release Points optional jackpot. With eight sailfish releases, Koocher was the event’s highest-scoring lady angler.
Representing the Spice Island Billfish Tournament, Adrian de Silva was the event’s top angler with one blue marlin and 15 sailfish releases, while Matthew Rose from the Sunshine Coast Game Fishing Classic weighed the heaviest dorado at 51.6 pounds. Christopher Spalding from the Bermuda Big Game Classic team landed the event’s largest yellowfin tuna at 92.6 pounds.
2024 Costa Offshore World Championship Sponsors
The Costa Offshore World Championship is sponsored by many industry-leading companies, including title sponsor Costa Sunglasses, The Marlin Group, Marina Pez Vela, Parador Nature Resort and Spa, Yeti, Salt Life, Garmin, King Sailfish Mounts, AFTCO, Flor de Caña, IGFA, Bodo Muche Studio-Foundry, Pacifico Travel Services, Seakeeper, Release Marine, 2Costa Rica Real Estate, VanMark Jewelry Designers, Coastal Carolina Cutting Boards, Starbrite, Penn, Guy Harvey, Big-T Lures, IWS ScaleMaster, Baby Je Creations and Adri Gyotaku Marine Life Prints.