FINAL RECAP — SFC Cape Cod Invitational: South Florida Sails Hold Off a Historic Blue Marlin Double to Win the Weather-Shortened Stop 4
The South Florida Sails weathered relentless pressure — and deteriorating weather — to win the Sport Fishing Championship's Cape Cod Invitational, presented by Comparion Insurance, the fourth stop on the SFC Atlantic Division schedule. Capt. Mike King and his crew closed out the weather-shortened event with 1,450 points, holding off a furious final-day charge out of MacDougall's Marina to retake the Atlantic Division lead.
Originally scheduled as a three-day tournament, the Cape Cod Invitational was trimmed to two days after the National Weather Service issued a small-craft advisory for Sunday. With a full day of fishing erased, Friday's fast start suddenly carried championship weight.
Sails Set the Pace on Friday
South Florida Sails established themselves as the club to beat on opening day, exploding out of the gate with a triple white marlin release before adding a blue marlin in the afternoon. A late white marlin release pushed them to 850 points and a 200-point cushion over North Carolina Flare, who stayed within striking distance thanks to a dramatic blue marlin release just after lines out.
Championship Saturday Fireworks
The final day opened with fireworks at dawn. The New Jersey Sea Birds wasted little time, scoring within the first half-hour before Trey Burton released his first blue marlin ever. Jay Brower and Kade Roach kept the rally going with white marlin releases, and Stephen Birch added another blue marlin midway through the morning to lift the Sea Birds into second. By late morning they had trimmed the Sails' once-commanding lead to just 50 points, setting up what looked like a sprint to the finish.
North Carolina Flare pressed all morning with several white marlin releases, but their first fish of the day was later disqualified following an IGFTO review — officials ruled a mate had touched the line while clearing seaweed, preventing the release from counting. The call proved costly in an event ultimately decided by 100 points.
Each time a challenger surged, the Sails answered. Westin Bomnskie opened their day with an early white marlin before a second triple white marlin release — Lee Albarty, Mark McDevitt and Bomnskie — stretched the lead back to 300 points. Albarty and Alex Stanley each added another white marlin in the afternoon to keep South Florida Sails firmly atop the board.
South Carolina Outcast Make SFC History
The day's biggest headline came from the South Carolina Outcast. Entering Championship Saturday with just 200 points, Steven Lackey and Trey Kemmerlin completed the league's first-ever blue marlin double — worth 900 points — vaulting the Lowcountry Legends from fifth place all the way to second at 1,300 points and putting the pressure squarely back on the leaders in the closing hours.
East Coast Remix recorded two separate white marlin doubles to climb to 700 points, while Lights Out Boston — held scoreless on Day 1 — found their rhythm as Jackie Hayes, Tucker Carmichael and Ray Rosher accounted for four white marlin releases to finish with 400. North Carolina Flare made one last bid when Mark Dressler hooked up just before lines out, but the fish proved to be a tuna, ending the comeback.
South Florida Sails finished with 10 white marlin releases and one blue marlin release, never surrendering the tournament lead. "Each time another club threatened, Captain Mike King and his crew answered with another billfish," summed up a weekend defined by the Sails' poise under fire.
Final Results — Cape Cod Invitational
- South Florida Sails — 1,450 points
- South Carolina Outcast — 1,300 points
- New Jersey Sea Birds — 1,200 points
- North Carolina Flare — 950 points
- East Coast Remix — 700 points
- Lights Out Boston — 400 points
- Rhode Island Breakers — Scratch
Atlantic Division Standings
The victory returned South Florida Sails to the top of the Atlantic Division through four of six regular-season stops (Key West Classic, Walker's Cay Open, SFC Carrier Cup and Cape Cod Invitational):
- South Florida Sails — 12,400 points
- New Jersey Sea Birds — 11,900 points
- Lights Out Boston — 10,900 points
- East Coast Remix — 10,800 points
- South Carolina Outcast — 10,600 points
- North Carolina Flare — 9,000 points
- Rhode Island Breakers — 8,000 points
The top two clubs from each division advance to the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs (Oct. 17–18). With just two Atlantic events left — the Rhode Island Offshore Invitational (July 24–26) and The MidAtlantic (Aug. 21–23) — barely 1,800 points separate first from sixth, and Cape Cod was a reminder that every release could prove decisive in the hunt for the postseason.
Results and reporting via Sport Fishing Championship.
