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1
Operation Sailfish - January 13 - 17, 2027
2
Sailfish Challenge - February 17 - 21, 2027
3
Final Sail - April 7 - 10, 2027

The Series

CONTENDER

SERIES SCHEDULE

2027

Jan

Operation Sailfish

Leg one of the Quest for the Crest presented by Raymarine
  • West Palm Beach, FL
  • January 13 - 17, 2027
Learn More

2027

Feb

Sailfish Challenge

Leg two of the Quest for the Crest presented by Raymarine
  • Pompano Beach, FL
  • February 17 - 21, 2027
Learn More

2027

Apr

Final Sail

Leg three of the Quest for the Crest presented by Raymarine
  • Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • April 7-10, 2027
Learn More
KELLY BUICK GMC
COSTA

CHASING BURGUNDY

PlaceTEAM NAMESERIES POINTS
1Reel Deal31
2Priceless29
3Viva28
4Fish Tales27
5Native Son/Steel Got It26
6Remix25
7Living Water/Makin Time24
8Taylor Jean23
9Double Take22
10Vitamin Sea21
11Reel Lucky20
12Sandman19
13Hydrosphere18
14Fish On17
15Sir Reel16
16Oh Shell Yeah15
17Seraphim14
18Squid Chain13
19Off Course12
20Faratsi11
21BAR South10
22Jolene9
23Good Call8
24Chasin A7
25Valhalla 556
26La Fe5
27Old No 74
28Doing It All/Hardway3
29Beast2
30Big Stink1
PlaceTEAM NAMESERIES POINTS
1Priceless 60
2Reel Deal56
3Sandman 47
4Vitamin Sea42
5Living Water/Makin Time40
6Sir Reel38
7Native Son/Steel Got It38
8Reel Lucky38
9Bar South 30
10Viva 30
11Off the Wall29
12Valhalla 5529
13Goin Raptor27
14Fish Tales27
15Sandrita26
16Remix 25
17Fish On25
18Goombay Smash24
19Oh Shell Yeah24
20Taylor Jean23
21Old No 722
22Double Take22
23Think Deeper19
24Hydrosphere18
25Paradise Found17
26Personal Foul26
27Jolene15
28Carolina Reel Men14
29Seraphim14
30Squid Chain13
PlaceTEAM NAMESERIES POINTS
1Reel Deal80
2Priceless76
3Sandman73
4Vitamin Sea70
5Native Son/Steel Got It60
6Reel Lucky56
7Fish Tales52
8Remix52
9Carolina Reel Men45
10Viva44
11Living Water/Makin Time40
12Sir Reel38
13Goombay Smash37
14Paradise Found35
15BAR South30
16Valhalla 5529
17Off the Wall29
18Seraphim29
19Goin Raptor27
20Sandrita26
21Fish On25
22Three Little Birds24
23Oh Shell Yeah24
24Taylor Jean23
25Old No 722
26Double Take22
27Think Deeper19
28Hydrosphere18
29Jolene15
30Personal Foul15

 

 

PlaceTEAM NAMESERIES POINTS
1Reel Deal25
2Priceless23
3Viva22
4Native Son/Steel Got It21
5Remix20
6Living Water/Makin Time19
7Vitamin Sea18
8Sandman17
9Fish On16
10Seraphim15
11BAR South14
12Jolene13
13Chasin A12
14Doing It All/Hardway11
15Traveler Sportfishing10
16FFMD9
17Carolina Reel Men8
18Mallard7
19Liquidated6
20Three Little Birds5
21Paradise Found4
22True Grit3
23Think Deeper2
24Big Ben1
PlaceTEAM NAMESERIES POINTS
1Priceless 60
2Reel Deal56
3Sandman 47
4Vitamin Sea42
5Living Water/Makin Time40
6Sir Reel38
7Native Son/Steel Got It38
8Reel Lucky38
9Bar South 30
10Viva 30
11Off the Wall29
12Valhalla 5529
13Goin Raptor27
14Fish Tales27
15Sandrita26
16Remix 25
17Fish On25
18Goombay Smash24
19Oh Shell Yeah24
20Taylor Jean23
21Old No 722
22Double Take22
23Think Deeper19
24Hydrosphere18
25Paradise Found17
26Personal Foul26
27Jolene15
28Carolina Reel Men14
29Seraphim14
30Squid Chain13
PlaceTEAM NAMESERIES POINTS
1Reel Deal66
2Priceless62
3Vitamin Sea61
4Sandman60
5Native Son/Steel Got It54
6Carolina Reel Men49
7Remix46
8Viva42
9Paradise Found37
10Living Water/Makin Time36
11BAR South34
12True Grit33
13Seraphim31
14Traveler Sportfishing31
15Three Little Birds31
16Fish On29
17Jolene24
18Mallard21
19Think Deeper21
20Liquidated18
21FFMD18
22Doing It All/Hardway17
23Chasin A12
24Big Ben1
25Old No 722
26Double Take22
27Think Deeper19
28Hydrosphere18
29Jolene15
30Personal Foul15

 

 

SERIES SCORING

Privilege is Earned

The Crest, presented in the form of a jacket, stands as the most prestigious award in competitive bill fishing, marking the highest symbol of achievement and excellence in the sport. To earn this coveted coat of arms, a team must deliver consistent, top-tier performances across every leg of the series.

Scoring Format

The scoring format assigns a score based on where a team finishes in each tournament. A linear scoring system emphasizes performance and consistency, the benchmark of a true champion in any sport. The Scoring format is as follows.

If there is a tie based on the scoring system, the tiebreaker will be determined based on the total number of sailfish released by each team in the series.

LEADERBOARD POSITIONPOINTS EARNED
1st Place31 points
2nd Place29 points
3rd Place28 points
4th Place27 points
5th Place26 points
6th Place25 points
7th Place22 points
8th Place21 points
9th Place20 points
10th Place19 points
11th Place18 points
12th Place17 points
13th Place16 points
14th Place15 points
15th Place14 points
16th Place15 points
17th Place14 points
18th Place13 points
19th Place12 points
20th Place11 points
21st Place10 points
22nd Place9 points
23rd Place8 points
24th Place7 points
25th Place6 points
26th Place5 points
27th Place4 points
28th Place3 points
29th Place2 points
30th Place1 points
LAND AND SEA PROFESSIONALS

SERIES AWARDS

BATTLE OF THE BRACKETS

32 Teams Qualify. No Entry Fee. Head-to-Head Competition. 5 Rounds. One Winner!

Battle of the Brackets is a season-long elimination challenge spanning all three legs of the Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series. Teams compete head-to-head in a tournament-style bracket, with the team recording the most sailfish releases in each matchup advancing to the next round. Survive the bracket, win the final showdown at Final Sail, and claim the Battle of the Brackets title.

RAYMARINE
SIMMS

QUEST FOR THE CREST HALL OF FAME

SERIES RULES

  1. Registration: Visit fish.bluewatermovements.com to register online. Teams that wish to pay by check may do so by mailing the check to: Bluewater Movements, Inc., PO Box 50114, Lighhouse Point, FL 33074. Early entry for each event closes on the following dates: Operation Sailfish – 1/2/26 ; Sailfish Challenge – 2/4/26 ; Final Sail – 3/25/26. All registration and calcutta payments must be complete by the conclusion of the kickoff party for each fishing tournament. For questions regarding registration call (954) 725-4010.
  2. Entry Forms: Registration must be completed by the captain or owner with appropriate fees and registration information. Officials in each event reserve the right to refuse application or entry into the tournaments at their discretion with or without cause. General entry fees are not refundable for any reason.
  3. Eligible Species: Sailfish, White Marlin, Blue Marlin, Dolphin, Wahoo, Kingfish, Tuna and Cobia.
  4. Maximum Anglers: There is no limit on anglers. Additional crew members or mates may accompany the team if desired. Any teams with angler changes or substitutions should notify the committee prior to the start of fishing for each event.
  5. Maximum Lines: All boats are permitted to fish up to seven lines in the water during each tournament.
  6. Tackle: All fish must be caught on rod and reel. Wire lines are permitted. No electric reels except kite rods, dredges and downriggers. All teams must use a non-offset circle hook in the tournaments. The length of the leader may not exceed 15 feet. The combined length of the double line and the leader may not exceed 20 feet in length. 2 artificial or natural dredges are permitted in the tournaments. Dredges do not factor into your line count. Stinger rigs are permitted provided the hook is a circle hook.
  7. Bait & Bait Fishing: Fishing with live bait is permitted in the tournaments; however, live chumming is not permitted. Frozen block chum is allowed. No dead baits (whole or chunk) may be used for chumming. All boats in the tournaments are prohibited from having any boats outside the tournaments chum on their behalf. Bait fishing is permitted at any time during the tournaments, however, teams cannot fish for sailfish or meatfish at the same time they are bait fishing.
  8. Eligible Bait: The following types of bait may be fished in the tournaments: ballyhoo, blue runner, cigar minnow, goggle eye, pilchard, sardine, speedo, thredfin herring, tinker mackerel.
  9. Hook & Catch: A hook and hand scenario is permitted in all tournaments. A hooked fish may be fought by multiple members of a team with no limit on the number of times a rod is passed from one angler to another. The use of a rod holder to hook and fight a fish is permitted.
  10. Tournament Channel: The tournament channel may vary by event. The official channel will be announced at the captain’s meeting for each event. The tournament channel is reserved for specific announcements and the report of angler releases. All discussion among competitors should be conducted on alternate channels.
  11. Boundaries:
    1. Operation Sailfish – North: 27 15 South: 26 15 East: 79 22
    2. Sailfish Challenge – North: 27 04 South: 25 28 East: 79 35
    3. Final Sail – North: 26 16 South: 25 15 East: 79 35
  12. Prize Structure: The general prize structure is based on a participating field of 60 boats in each event.
  13. Check-Out: There is a not a land-based checkout location for the tournaments. Prior to the start of fishing each day, all teams must video the time and their GPS coordinates to confirm that they are within the stated boundaries for the tournament. Video must show time, date and GPS location. Boats may not deploy any lines in the water until they are within the stated boundaries.
  14. Lines In/Lines Out:
    1. Operation Sailfish: 8am & 4pm on January 16-17, 2026.
    2. Sailfish Challenge: 8am & 4pm on February 20-21, 2026
    3. Final Sail: 8am & 4pm on April 10-11, 2026
  15. Check-In:
    1. Operation Sailfish: Media and release cards must be turned in at Sailfish Marina by 6pm each day.
    2. Sailfish Challenge: Media and release cards must be turned in at Miami Beach Marina, Hillsboro Inlet Finger Docks or Sailfish Marina by 6pm each day.
    3. Final Sail: TBD
  16. Series Points: The series points for the Quest reside with the registered boat and owner of that boat. If a registered boat elects not to participate in the next leg of the series, members of that boat the wish to continue forward, may use those points provided at least 3 of the original crew are on board the new boat and approval in writing has been provided by the owner of the original boat. Points may not be transferred to another boat already competing in the series. If a team charters a boat to compete, series points will be assigned to the charter customer, provided that proof of a charter fee can be demonstrated, and the owner of the chartered boat confirms the charter with event staff in writing prior to the event.
  17. Changing Boats: Changing boats during tournament competition is permitted, provided the request is made with and approved by tournament staff in advance.
  18. Weather: Should weather conditions arise deemed unsafe for the average registered boat, by tournament officials, the fishing schedule for each event may be altered to accommodate the best weather and fishing conditions available to participating teams. Any schedule adjustment due to inclement weather will be made at the sole discretion of the tournament committee. Best effort will be made to achieve a 2-day fishing format on the scheduled weekend of the tournaments. In the event, as determined by the committee, where 2 days of fishing is not achievable, the tournament may be reduced to a 1-day format. Captains, anglers and all other members of registered boats must determine in their own judgment whether to fish under the given conditions based on factors including but not limited to the seaworthiness of their boat and their own seamanship.
  19. Competition Day: Best effort will be made to ensure the full fishing schedule is met for each tournament in the series. At least 4 hours of tournament fishing must occur on any day for the points from that day to count towards the overall score and standings for each team. Should inclement weather or any other force majeure condition occur that limits a tournament to 1 day of fishing, the daily payouts for the cancelled day will be added to the daily payouts for the scheduled day of fishing and all other payouts will be made based on the final standings from the modified fishing schedule.
  20. Protests: All protests must be submitted in writing along with $500 to the tournament officials within two hours of lines out. Protests should be made on first-hand eyewitness information. All decisions of the tournament officials regarding protests are final. All participants agree and acknowledge by their participation that this protest shall be the sole remedy for all disputes arising from the competition. Participants waive their right to trial.
  21. Polygraph: By entering any tournament in the series, all captains, anglers and occupants of their boat voluntarily consent to submit to a polygraph examination as deemed necessary by tournament officials. All decisions of the polygraph examiner will be final. Any captain, angler or occupant of a registered boat who refuses to take a polygraph or provides untruthful answers as determined by the examiner will be disqualified from the tournament without further notice. Such a disqualification will eliminate payment of any prize money, awards and/or refund of entrance fees.
  22. Tournament Discretion: The tournament director reserves the right to implement his or discretion at any time during a tournament as it may apply to the rules or any other circumstance that should arise during an event in the series.
  23. Release: All registered captains, anglers and occupants of their boats consent that tournament officials may use without payment or restriction, any photographs or video in which he or she appears for any purpose whatsoever, including but not limited to resale, advertising and promotional material.
  24. Hold Harmless: It is expressly understood that all registered participants and non-registered occupants of their boats enter the events in the Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series voluntarily and at their own risk. Further, each registered and non-registered participant on behalf of other family members and/or executors agrees to release and hold harmless Bluewater Movements, Inc., its officers, directors, owners, members, representatives, agents, employees, independent contractors, volunteers, promoters, advertisers, sponsors, partners, join ventures, affiliates, assigns, polygraph examiner, the city and county where the events are held and all other persons connected directly or indirectly with the operation of any event in the Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series (collectively, “Released and Indemnified Parties”) from any and all claims, losses, damages, demands, causes of action, suits and liabilities of every kind arising out of, related to, or resulting from the tournament, activity or event, including but not limited to all events in the Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series, including without limitation, any claim for loss, damage or destruction of property, or injury (including death), regardless of whether such loss arises in whole or part from the negligence of any Released and Indemnified Party. This Release is intended to be as broad and inclusive as possible under applicable Florida law, and if any portion of this Release is held invalid or unenforceable, the balance shall continue in full force and legal effect. Jurisdiction over the tournament shall be exclusively that of the tournament director. All parties agree to be bound by the tournament director’s decisions without exception.
  25. Agreement: By registering for a tournament, the captain and owner agrees that all anglers and occupants of their boat will abide by all tournament rules.
  1. Scoring: Billfish Points – Registered anglers will receive 1 point for each eligible billfish released in the tournament. All team prize categories will be awarded based on the team’s overall point standings. In the event of a tie, winners will be determined by the team or individual that releases their last fish first. Gamefish (Dolphin, Wahoo, Kingfish, Tuna & Cobia) must weigh a minimum of 10 pounds to be eligible. A maximum of 4 gamefish may be weighed in each day. Each fish meeting weight requirements will be given a score of one point per pound. These points will not be included with points awarded for billfish releases in the tournaments. For available prize money in the gamefish division, see the general and optional entry prize structure for each event. Mutilated billfish or gamefish will not count. All decisions of the weighmaster are final.
  2. Semi-Pro Category: There is a semi-pro prize category in each leg of the series. To qualify for this prize money, two criteria must be met. #1: Two or fewer paid crew members on board (captains, mates, anglers). #2: A team cannot have any members on board that have placed in the top 8 of a Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series tournament within the past 8 years.
  3. Billfish Release Criteria: All billfish in each event must be properly released for a point to be scored to the registered angler or team. The requirements for a release are as follows: (1) the double line and leader must leave the tip of the rod once a strike occurs (2) In a continuous sequence, video footage must clearly identify the fish as well as the leader touch and leader cut by a crew member. If there is a break in footage before all three components of this sequence are met, you must re-establish fish id and complete the sequence again (3) The proper color card and confirmation # should be displayed on video to mark the completion of a catch.
  4. Video Requirement: Each team is responsible for providing their own video camera and the appropriate media to record video footage that documents the releases on their boat. Video media will not be provided to tournament teams by tournament officials. Acceptable primary video formats are SD cards only. Video initialization each day should include time, date and GPS coordinates within 5 minutes of lines in. Make sure to initialize all cameras that may be used to confirm releases each day. One or more back up cameras is highly recommended.
  5. Release & Catch Verification: All billfish releases must be reported to the tournament committee immediately following the release. Individuals calling in a release must include the boat number and angler name in their report. A release is official once the radio controller responds with a confirmation # and color. That confirmation # and color should be recorded on the team release card. Any boat unable to contact the radio room should contact another boat for a relay. Tournament cell phone #’s will also be provided at each captain’s meeting for the reporting of releases. Boats that elect to fish in areas with poor cell phone coverage are still responsible for maintaining communication with the tournament committee on all releases.
  6. Winnings: All winners are required to complete a W9 form prior to receiving any awards for each tournament.
KELLY BUICK GMC

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