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January7-10201552014RecapMissAnnieWins77thSailfshDerbyExtremeweatherconditionstest-edthe39boateetshingintheWestPalmBeachFishingClubs77thannualSilverSailfshDerbyheldlastJanuary.ThetournamenteetheadquarteredoutoftheSailshMarinaonSingerIslandregisteredatotalof220sailshreleasesduringthreedaysofshing.Bycomparisontheshingwasfaroffthemarkfromanyoftherecordsettingeventstheeethasenjoyedinrecentyears.Howeverthe2.0sailshperboatdayaveragewasanimprovementoverthe2013eventandhigherthantheDerbyshistoricalaver-ageof1.4sailsperboatday.Consider-ingtheroughseaconditionsIdsaythecatchratewasprettygoodcommentedWPBFCChairmanandDerbyradiomanPeteSchulz.LastDecemberwasoneofthewarm-estmonthsonrecordresultinginlack-lustersailshingpriortothe2014Derby.HoweverafewdaysbeforethestartoftheeventtherewashopethatapassingcoldfrontinuencedbyaPolarVortexthathadmuchofthecountryinadeepfreezewouldprovidethesparkneededtoturnonthesailshbite.UnfortunatelythecoldfrontwasshortlivedandtheshnevershowedoffPalmBeach.ThebestbitewasfromStuartInlettotheSt.LuciePowerPlantournorthernboundaryline.Butthebulkofthesailshwerestillnorthofthatarea.WejustdidnthaveanysignicantcoldfrontstopushbignumbersofshoutoftheircomfortzoneandfurthersouthsaidSchulz.OntheDerbysrstdaytheeetwasgreetedwithwhatmanyseasonedcaptainscallVictoryatSeaconditions.AfallingtidebuckinganortheastswellmadeforextremelyroughseasoutsidePalmBeachInlet.BecausetheDerbyallowsboatsofallsizestoparticipatethetournamentisacaptainschoiceeventregardingthedecisiontoshornotshanygivenday.Sixboatsdecidedtostayoffthewater.Twoothersonlyshedahalf-day.Astrongnortheasttoeasterlywindwhippedthewavesuptoeightfeettheentiredaywithsomeoccasionallytoppingtenfeetormore.Theconfusedseachallengedeventhebiggestofboatssomeover70feet.AttheconclusionoftherstdayitwasLantanabasedProPayrollcaptainedbyJamieRalphwhoearnedtopdailyboathonorswith6sailshreleases.Teams2014DerbychampsteamMissAnnieReelControlandWrenegadenishedthedaywithvereleaseseachround-ingoutthetopthreepositionsontheleaderboard.ProPayrollanglerJohnDuvalclaimedthetopdailyanglerawardwith4releasedsails.AndrewStewartofPalmBeachcaughttheheavyweightshontherstday.His33.5lb.dolphincaughtaboardtheAnitaLremainedtheheaviestshrecordedduringthethree-daycon-testandearnedtheGrandChampionWeightFishTrophy.Sinceitwastheveryrstshweighedinduringthetournamentwewereonedgeforthreedayshopingtheshwouldholdup.ImthrilleditdidsaidStewart.Atotalof59sailswerereleasedontheDerbysrstday.SeaconditionssubsidedalittleontheDerbysseconddaybutbyallaccountsitwasstillrough.ThewordwasoutthatthebestsailshbitewasoccurringinthewatersoffStuartnearthetournamentboundaryline.TeamDoingItAllwasamongtheboatswhotravelednorth.TheWestPalmBeachbasedteamleadbyWPBFCmemberMarkLambwaseagertosh.Ontherstdaytheirboathadexperiencedasteeringfailurethatcuttheirshingdayshortandrequirednavigatingtheirtripleoutboardcen-terconsolethroughJupiterInletusingjustthethrottlestosteer.Wewaitedforslacktidebeforeattemptingtoruntheinlet.Itwasprettycrazy.WegotthesteeringpumpsreplacedovernightandwewerebackinthegameontheseconddaycommentedLamb.Evidentlytheshgodswerewiththem.DoingItAllearnedtopdailyboathonorsondaytwooftheDerbywithanimpressivetotalof12sailshreleasesandclimbedtothetopoftheleaderboard.HighanglerondaytwowasRickBurtonofWel-lingtonwhotallied6sailsaboardDoingItAll.HeavyweightshhonorswenttoBoydYoungbloodofLakeComoNewJerseywholandeda14.4lb.dolphinaboardtheTeamLumitecboat.Atotalof98sailswerereleasedontheseconddaybringingthetournamenttotalto157releases.TheDerbyleaderboardbegantotightenupwithveboatsJichiWrenegadeProPayrollDoubleDiamondandMissAnnieallwithinreasonablereachoftheleader.Itwasstillanyteamstournamenttowin.Theweathergodswerenotn-ishedpunishingtheDerbyeetRoughseasonDay1ofthe2014Derby