PORTLAND, Jamaica —The ninth staging of the Mayberry Superstars of Port Antonio International Marlin Tournament officially began Thursday morning, as 15 of the 22 registered boats sailed off from the Errol Flynn Marina.

The boats were led out by the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard and the Port Antonio Marine Police.

Defending champion Safe Passage led by last year’s top angler, Chris Berry, were among the many who hoped to reel in big wins and big fish.

Just two hours into the action, Brac Rebel made the first move, releasing the tournament’s first marlin and taking an early lead.

Tournament Director Bobby Stewart confirmed that while 22 boats were registered, not all could make it to the start line due to mechanical and weather-related issues.

“We have 22 boats registered,” Stewart shared with Observer Online. “But we know that we’ve had two mechanical failures in Cayman, and there was another mechanical failure for a boat coming in from Kingston. And we have one boat that got held up on the way down in the Bahamas by the weather… So right now I think we’re starting with 18 boats but we’ll be up to 19 or 20 by Friday.”

Despite the early setbacks, participation remains strong, with several overseas entries, particularly from the Cayman Islands.

“The Caymanians love this tournament,” Stewart added.

This year’s tournament boasts a prize pool of approximately US $330,000, including cash, trophies, and fishing gear for the top teams. There is also a US$100,000 reward for any record-breaking catch in three major categories: blue marlin, white marlin, or yellowfin tuna.

“The grand prizes are cash and trophies and also fishing equipment. There are categories for food fish as well, everything from dolphin to tuna. But if there are record fish landed… there is also a US$100,000 prize.”

Mayberry Investments returns as the title sponsor for 2025, continuing its long-standing support of the event.

Held in Port Antonio, the tournament also plays a vital role in supporting the local economy and tourism.

“Port Antonio, I believe, has some of the best fishing in Jamaica… Not only that, Port Antonio is beautiful. It is untouched. It’s a part of Jamaica that’s magical,” Stewart said. “And the people are very friendly and we love it here.”

As part of community outreach, organisers have planned a free concert on Sunday evening for residents.

Looking ahead, Stewart is confident this will be a stand-out year.

“We’ve consistently picked extremely good dates for fishing. The ocean is crawling with blue marlin right now. I think this is going to be one of our best years,” he said.

Fishing continues until 5:00 pm daily, with results and highlights expected in the coming days.

— Everard Owen