The Oak Bluffs Bluewater Classic (OBBC), a big-game fishing tournament and the de facto replacement of the Monster Shark Tournament, will make its inaugural run this week, from Wednesday through Saturday, July 24–26.
Damon Sacco of Bourne, owner and operator of Castafari Sport Fishing and organizer of the Hyannis Tuna Fest, is the organizer of the OBBC. He has been assisted by Christian Giardani of Falmouth, one of the organizers of the Falmouth Grand Prix fishing tournament, and Ted Rosbeck of Edgartown.
“The fishing is really starting to heat up, so we should see some great action,” Mr. Sacco said in a phone interview with The Times. “We just need the weather to cooperate.” Mr. Sacco said the bluewater fishing south of Martha’s Vineyard rivals the best big game fishing anywhere in the world. Contestants can fish two out of the three days, which will allow for overnight trips to the northeast canyons, prime waters for big game hunting.
The OBBC is sanctioned by the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) and will operate on a points system. Species that will accrue points are bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, swordfish, wahoo, mahi-mahi, and marlin. Marlin will be catch and release only. Sharks will have no point value. Contestants will weigh in their fish from 5 to 8 pm, Thursday through Saturday, at the dock adjacent to Our Market. A marine biologist will be on hand at the weigh-in. There will be sponsor booths in Sunset park as well. Mad Martha’s Brewery is the main sponsor of the tournament.
On Saturday night, there will be an awards dinner at Dreamland, followed by a party with live music, that will open to the public at 10 pm.
Ten percent of the tournament proceeds will be donated to the Island autism group, according to Mr. Sacco. There will also be a charity raffle for the Massachusetts General Hospital colon cancer research fund.
The Oak Bluffs Bluewater Classic replaces the Monster Shark Tournament, which ended after the untimely death of organizer Steven James in a duck hunting accident in January. Mr. James ran the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Tournament for 27 years, defending and modifying it over time in the face of growing opposition from Islanders and others. In February, Oak Bluffs selectmen voted to reject the application for a new shark tournament and instead chose the multi-species tournament proposed by Mr. Sacco and his associates.
Mr. Sacco said he’s expecting 25 to 30 teams to enter this year — a modest turnout compared to the Monster Shark tournament, which peaked in 2004 with 245 participating entrants that paid an entry fee of more than $1,000 per boat. But Mr. Sacco is confident the OBBC will grow under his guidance. “We had 16 contestants in the first year of [Hyannis] Tuna Fest, in 2011,” he said. “This year we had 57.” Mr. Sacco said his goal is to reach 100 contestants in five years.
More information for the Oak Bluffs Bluewater Classic can be found at the tournament website, obbclassic.com
