Team Fish for Holly Wins the 2025 Costa Offshore World Championship
For Immediate Release
For inquiries, contact [email protected]
April 18, 2025 — Quepos, Costa Rica — The 2025 Offshore World Championship (OWC), produced by The Marlin Group and presented by Costa Sunglasses, once again affirmed its reputation as the world’s premier international billfishing tournament. Held April 6–10 at Marina Pez Vela, 34 teams representing 19 countries descended on Quepos, Costa Rica, each having qualified through top-tier tournaments worldwide.
Over three days of fishing, the fleet released 591 billfish—568 Pacific sailfish and 23 blue marlin—averaging more than 17 per team under idyllic tropical conditions on the water, and enjoying luxurious accommodations provided by the Parador Nature Resort & Spa back on land.
“The Costa Offshore World Championship embodies the spirit of international camaraderie and sportsmanship,” says Tournament Director, Jennifer Dudas. “We are deeply grateful to all participants who journeyed from around the globe to represent their homelands with such passion and integrity. Your dedication enriches this tournament’s legacy, and we eagerly anticipate welcoming you back next year.”
Claiming top honors, Team Fish for Holly delivered a commanding performance with 6,100 points and 29 billfish releases. Led by Capt. Robert Collins of Islamorada, Florida, the team—comprising Audrey Koocher, Ritchie White, Roy Godinez, and John Timura—fished aboard Top Notch, Monkey Shine, and Vuelto Loco over the three days. Their victory also honored the legacy of the Fish for Holly Sailfish Tournament, created in memory of Holly Given to support domestic abuse prevention in the Florida Keys.
Finishing in second place, Team Rake & Scrape of the Bahamas—representing the Lyford Cay Invitational Offshore Tournament—scored 5,400 points with 27 sailfish releases, fishing aboard Super Fly, Double Nickel, and Sueltalo II. Third place went to Team Sunshine Coast Game Fishing Club Classic from Australia, who also tallied 5,300 points with 24 sailfish and one blue marlin release.
Catherine “Cat” Bartels of Team Yellowfin earned both the Top Angler and Top Lady Angler honors with a standout performance that included 16 sailfish and one blue marlin for a total of 3,500 points.
The 2025 Costa Offshore World Championship reaffirmed its status as the zenith of international competitive angling, where excellence, tradition and sportsmanship converge in pursuit of greatness.
About The Marlin Group
The Marlin Group is the world’s largest big-game fishing network reaching more than one million captains, anglers, mates and boat owners annually across a variety of touchpoints. The group publishes Marlin magazine, the industry’s No. 1 source since 1981, and operates the Offshore World Championship in Costa Rica; Los Cabos Billfish Tournament in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Scrub Island Billfish Series in the British Virgin Islands; Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series; the Bermuda Triple Crown; and the Marlin Global Challenge, making it the worldwide leader for international billfishing tournaments. Marlin Expeditions, formerly Marlin University, has led anglers on educational excursions to the globe’s top big-game fishing destinations for more than 20 years. The Marlin Group is a core division of the US-based outdoor adventure company Bonnier LLC.Learn more at marlinmag.com and bonniercorp.com.
2025 Costa Offshore World Sponsors
The Costa Offshore World Championship is sponsored by many industry-leading companies, including title sponsor Costa Sunglasses, The Marlin Group, Marina Pez Vela, Parador Nature Resort & Spa, Bluefin USA, Yeti, Garmin, King Sailfish Mounts, AFTCO, Flor de Caña, IGFA, Bodo Muche Studio-Foundry, Pacifico Travel Services, Release Marine, 2Costa Rica Real Estate, VanMark Jewelry Designers, Coastal Carolina Cutting Boards, Star brite, Penn, Guy Harvey, Big T Lures, IWS ScaleMaster, Baby Je Creations, Ladies Love Pink, XTRATUF, danco sports, Port & Starboard and Conch Republic Apparel.
- Published in Marlin
The Marlin Group Announces Substantial Investments in Marlin Magazine
For Immediate Release
For inquiries, contact [email protected]
- New bimonthly publication schedule
- Special “bookazine” annual issue commemorating the best of big-game angling
- Heavier paper and wider format to showcase enhanced design
October 31, 2024 – WINTER PARK, FL – Bonnier LLC, publisher of Marlin magazine, has announced massive investments that will further strengthen Marlin’s position of leadership within the big-game fishing industry. Collectively, the investments will represent the most substantial enhancements to the magazine since its launch in 1982.
Beginning in January 2025, Marlin will feature a new publishing schedule that will include six bimonthly issues plus a seventh “bookazine” special issue in late 2025 commemorating the best of big-game angling. Every issue of Marlin will feature heavier cover stock and improved interior paper, as well as a wider trim size to showcase enhancements in editorial and design.
“Print remains a vibrant component of our audience strategy,” said David Ritchie, Marlin Group CEO. “In 2025, we’re improving everything about the magazine. Readers will feel the difference in the paper quality, and they’ll see the design enhancements that come with our wider trim size. With a consistent bimonthly schedule, our readers and clients can look forward to their issues with anticipation, enhancing the overall reading experience.”
“What these investments really reflect is a shift in mindset,” said Jack Vitek, Editor-in-Chief. “Marlin is not just a magazine that people subscribe to. It is the journal for a close-knit community of like-minded anglers, and our product needs to reflect that. Each issue needs to be a collectible keepsake that is showcased on every salon table. Everything we have in store for 2025 is borne out of that line of thinking.”
The commitment to reader experience extends beyond print. A new publishing schedule has also been developed to drive increased engagement and retention across all of the group’s digital channels, most notably email, where caps on send volume will ensure Marlin Group emails stand out in the in-box.
“For more than 40 years, Marlin has been at the center of all things big-game fishing, and the investments we’re making in 2025 reflect our continuing commitment to this passionate community,” Ritchie said.
About The Marlin Group
The Marlin Group is the world’s largest big-game fishing network, closely engaged with more than one million boat owners, anglers, captains and mates annually. The group publishes Marlin magazine, the industry’s No. 1 source since 1981, and operates the Offshore World Championship in Costa Rica; Los Cabos Billfish Tournament in Cabo San Lucas; Scrub Island Billfish Series in the British Virgin Islands; and the Bermuda Triple Crown, making it the worldwide leader for international billfishing tournaments. Marlin Expeditions, formerly Marlin University, has led anglers on educational excursions to the globe’s top big-game fishing destinations for more than 20 years. The Marlin Group is a core operating unit of the US-based outdoor adventure company Bonnier LLC. Learn more at marlinmag.com and bonniercorp.com.
To subscribe, go to marlinmag.com/subscribe
- Published in Marlin
The 2024 Offshore World Championship a Success by Any Measure
Quepos, Costa Rica – April 14-19
This year’s running of the Costa Offshore World Championship in Quepos, Costa Rica was a huge success by any measure, with 42 teams from 24 countries and six continents competing to be named the globe’s Offshore Champion. The field of 198 anglers released 699 billfish over four days, averaging 16.7 billfish releases per team. The winning team, Marlin Rio from Brazil, released 33 sailfish for 6,600 points and the victory.
To win the OWC, competitors must best a field of anglers who are themselves champions, having qualified for attendance by winning or placing in a qualifying event within the prior year.
“The OWC truly is unique in this world,” Marlin Group CEO David Ritchie said to the assembled anglers on the event’s opening night. “You can’t buy your way here. You have to earn your way here. Each of you who are here today are champions already, and this week, one of you will fish your way to the top of this impressive field, a pinnacle achievement in big-game fishing.”
While Costa Rica is well-known for its vibrant culture, lush natural scenery and friendly locals—as well as the unrivaled excitement of its offshore fishing action—this Central American gem really pulled out all the stops for this year’s running. The Costa Rica Tourism Institute, Instituto Costarricense de Turismo, joined title sponsor, Costa, to host four days of head-to-head competition amid one of the most consistent billfish fisheries on the planet.
Once fishing commenced out of tournament host Marina Pez Vela each day, participants enjoyed a classic Costa Rican bite, with plenty of sailfish in the baits in virtually flat-calm tropical conditions. The fishing actually improved during each of the four days, with the fleet releasing 119 billfish on Day One, 124 on Day Two, 184 on Day Three and a whopping 272 on Day Four. For the tournament, there were 686 Pacific sailfish and 13 marlin released in four days of competition.
While Brazil has always fielded a strong contingent of teams for the Costa Offshore Championship, 2024 proved to be an exceptional one for the South American nation. Emerging victorious and representing the Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro was the Marlin Rio team of Pedro Guimarães, Luis Felipe Guimarães, André Mattos, Alexandre Cabral and Alberto Lorenzo. Proving that consistency is a key component to victory, they steadily marched their way through the leaderboard. A slow start on Day One with just four sailfish releases led to an improvement on Day Two with six, then 11 more sails on Day Three. Saving their best effort for the final day, Marlin Rio vaulted to victory with 12 sailfish releases on the fourth and final day for a total of 6,600 points. In addition to a lifetime invitation to defend their title, tournament director Jennifer Dudas presented the team with gold Championship rings from VanMark Jewelry Designers and will also be the first team represented on the new OWC Perpetual Trophy, on permanent display at Marina Pez Vela.
In second place was another Brazilian entry, representing the Yacht Clube da Bahia. Hernani lopes de Sá Neto, Ricardo Uanus Balazeiro, Ricardo Harth Balazeiro, Breno Murai and Jose Roberto Martinez Do Canto combined to release 28 sailfish, good for 5,600 points. They brought home the prestige as well as armloads of trophies and prizes to their home port of Salvador, Brazil.
Finishing in third was the team representing the 2008 OWC Champions: Audrey Koocher, Matt McLean, Robert Collins and John Domanic. They released 26 sailfish and landed a 21.18-pound dorado for a total of 5,221.18 points. They also took home first place in the tournament’s new Billfish Release Points optional jackpot. With eight sailfish releases, Koocher was the event’s highest-scoring lady angler.
Representing the Spice Island Billfish Tournament, Adrian de Silva was the event’s top angler with one blue marlin and 15 sailfish releases, while Matthew Rose from the Sunshine Coast Game Fishing Classic weighed the heaviest dorado at 51.6 pounds. Christopher Spalding from the Bermuda Big Game Classic team landed the event’s largest yellowfin tuna at 92.6 pounds.
2024 Costa Offshore World Championship Sponsors
The Costa Offshore World Championship is sponsored by many industry-leading companies, including title sponsor Costa Sunglasses, The Marlin Group, Marina Pez Vela, Parador Nature Resort and Spa, Yeti, Salt Life, Garmin, King Sailfish Mounts, AFTCO, Flor de Caña, IGFA, Bodo Muche Studio-Foundry, Pacifico Travel Services, Seakeeper, Release Marine, 2Costa Rica Real Estate, VanMark Jewelry Designers, Coastal Carolina Cutting Boards, Starbrite, Penn, Guy Harvey, Big-T Lures, IWS ScaleMaster, Baby Je Creations and Adri Gyotaku Marine Life Prints.
- Published in Events
New Original TV Series Documents the 2022 Offshore World Championship
April 14, 2022 — WINTER PARK, FL — The Costa Offshore World Championship Presented by Continental will be the subject of a three-part TV series documenting the most globally diverse sport-fishing tournament in the world.
Mixing high-level competition with reality TV, the docu-series will showcase the tournament’s four days of fishing action in Quepos, Costa Rica, and present a 360-degree view of this global spectacle: the 90-plus qualifying events, target species, judges, fans and roughly 40 competing teams with anglers from 20 countries including the U.S., Brazil, Bermuda, Mexico, Croatia, Canada, Panama, Kenya and the Seychelles.
“For more than two decades, the Offshore World Championship has represented the ultimate achievement in big-game fishing. This new series will bring the global story of this tournament to life,” says Dan Jacobs, the event’s longtime tournament director.
The televised Offshore World Championship will reach an international audience of more than 3 million with primary and secondary airings on Discovery, Outdoor America, Bally Sports Sun and Outdoor America’s digital streaming and video-on-demand platforms. It will air in the third and fourth quarters of 2022.
The series is the latest project from the producers of SFTV, the award-winning fishing-travel-adventure series on Discovery that began its 21st season on April 2.
“Developing a national and regional broadcast component for the Offshore World Championship was the right move for the sport and will help grow the audience exponentially,” says John Acosta, Costa Del Mar Vice President of Marketing. “It’s a first-class event and we are proud to have an ownership position that reinforces our brand’s presence in competitive saltwater angling.”
The Costa Offshore World Championship Presented by Continental is one of several international fishing tournaments produced by Bonnier, the outdoor adventure company with a portfolio that also includes Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Marlin, Boating, Yachting and SFTV.
For more information on the Costa Offshore World Championship Presented by Continental, visit offshoreworldchampionship.com, and follow @offshoreworldchampionship on Facebook and Instagram. Click here for the TV series’ full creative brief.