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The 11th annual Final Sail marked its new home in Coconut Grove, Miami, as 35 teams competed in the final leg of The Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series, vying for a share of a $459,400 purse that included a new minimum $100,000 guarantee, thanks to support from Raymarine and Yamaha.
The tournament introduced its new charitable partner, Shake-a-Leg Miami, joining forces with longtime beneficiary Fishing for Muscular Dystrophy. More than $6,000 was raised during the tournament week to support these causes.
Festivities began on April 10 with a captains’ meeting at Shake-a-Leg Marina, featuring music by DJ Select, food trucks and an appearance by the Miami Dolphins mascot, T.D.
Day One saw 115 sailfish releases. Capt. John Dudas and his team on Sandman were hot early and late in the day, powering them into the lead with 10 releases. They won the Tier One and Tier Two daily calcuttas and earned $39,525. Liquidated, captained by Danny Clinton, placed second in the daily with eight releases, earning $17,415.
On the final day, teams released another 164 sailfish. Sandman maintained its lead with 11 more releases, totaling 21 points. Top angler Robbie Ramirez’s performance helped secure Sandman’s first-place finish, earning the team a total of $237,160.
REMIX, captained by JC Cleare, surged from fifth to second place with 10 releases, earning $88,695. Priceless, captained by Jorge Sanchez, secured third place with 14 releases and won $30,470.
Sandman’s victory marked a notable comeback after a challenging start to the season, with a disappointing showing at Operation Sailfish in January. The turning point for the crew came during the Sailfish Challenge in February when the Sandman crew rallied to release four sailfish in the final 20 minutes of the tournament, catapulting them from third to first place. Their momentum continued with another first-place finish a week later, followed by the top spot at Final Sail—three straight victories, solidifying the crew’s well-earned reputation on the tournament trail.
