Team Polarizer wins inaugural SFC Atlantic Championship at White Marlin Open
by Sport Fishing Championship 13 Aug 2023 22:43 UTC
Team Polarizer wins inaugural SFC Atlantic Championship at White Marlin Open © Sport Fishing Championship
Sport Fishing Championship (SFC), the governing body of saltwater tournament fishing, finished their debut Atlantic Division season on Friday at the 50th White Marlin Open, with Team Polarizer awarded the $100,000 first prize in Ocean City, Maryland.
"I'm so excited," said George Robinson, Team Polarizer Angler. "It's such a privilege to be a part of the SFC, competing with the best boats up and down the East Coast and to come out on top. It's really about my team. Team Polarizer and South Jersey Yacht Sales, collectively, we're all winning. Being a part of the Sport Fishing Championship series is a dream come true."
Team Polarizer's finish at the Oak Bluffs Bluewater Classic put them into a solid first place position on the SFC Atlantic Division leaderboard with three second place finishes overall. During the tournament, they completed an historic Super Grand Slam, landing four different billfish species in a single day. The fish they caught included a blue marlin, a white marlin, a swordfish and a spearfish.
Team Polarizer consists of Captain Bill Davis and anglers Mike Fitzpatrick, George Robinson, Greg Robinson and Kurt Von Seekam. Team Polarizer now sits at second place on the SFC overall leaderboard, close behind Gulf Division Champion Team Quantified.
At The White Marlin Open, the world's richest and largest billfishing tournament, Team Fin Planner secured the Top Boat Release and Top Overall Boat with 17 white marlin released. John Ols of Team Floor Real brought in the only qualifying billfish worth $6.2 million of the $10.5 million in prizes. This sets a new world record for a single catch of a fish, breaking the previous world record of $4.45 million won in last year's Open. The newest addition to the 2023 SFC circuit and one of the largest, the White Marlin Open saw 400 boats competing across five days.
All eyes are on SFC season's final tournament in Puerto Rico beginning on Thursday, August 23. The stakes are high as the overall winner will take home the $1 million-dollar prize. In addition, the Championship Fish Division winners will be announced with Jordan Sanford of Team Gypsea leading the Bigeye Tuna Division, Jaselyn Berthelot of Team Rising Sons leading the Wahoo Division and Gus Rantz of Team Just Looking leading both the Yellowfin Tuna and Mahi Mahi Divisions. The winners of the Championship Divisions each take home $50,000.
To learn more about the Sport Fishing Championship, visit sportfishingchampionship.com.