Port Antonio, Portland — The 53rd Port Antonio International Marlin Tournament sailed off yesterday morning at the Ole Marina, Port Antonio, after a delay due to the threat of Hurricane Matthew.

Custos of Portland Major Lincoln Thaxter told the anglers, “I hope that you will break the records set over the years.”

Tournament director Max Rochester is hoping that anglers will be successful, as it is said after a hurricane the marlin normally bite. “It is said that after a hurricane the marlin love to bite. I hope that this tournament will be very successful despite them having only three days of fishing, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We will have the canoe tournament on Monday,” he said.

There were 17 yachts out with some 54 anglers with three overseas teams from Trinidad and Tobago on Oh Reely, Netherlands on Feeva and Canada on Head First.

The defending champion Integrity is back.

At press time three marlin were tagged and released on U Sea Mi, Keepin it Jiggy, and Touch of Class.

Lisa Hogarth was pleased with the sponsorship. “We are pleased with the sponsorship, and there is no fallout, and we have a few new ones and some returning. Persons kept in touch and we kept them informed and we have a few who are back on board like Red Stripe, who is our presenting sponsor in a big way for the International and the canoe, and Jamaica National with a new prize ‘most pounds of eating fish’, and there will be the Richard Stewart Award for Daddy Stewart, who passed away,” she said.

Jamaican Olympian Yohan Blake is participating on Safe Passage.

— Everard Owen