Few tournaments attract as much international attention as the Offshore World Championship. Teams from the four corners of the world are drawn to the highly competitive format in an event that’s held amid one of the planet’s greatest sport-fishing destinations: Quepos, Costa Rica. With blue, black and striped marlin and plenty of big Pacific sailfish readily abundant, it’s an angling paradise. Back ashore, participants can relax in a nation that’s known for its laid-back pura vida lifestyle. Marina Pez Vela provides a perfect host location and serves as the epicenter for the week’s activities.
The Offshore World Championship is unique in that teams rotate among chartered vessels each day, fishing with a new boat and crew on each of the four days of competition. Teams are also required to capture video evidence of all billfish released during the day. Entry into the OWC is by means of winning a qualifying tournament, and the requirements are stringent. Only the best in the world can even show up to fish in Costa Rica.
Enjoy this photo gallery from the 2017 Offshore World Championship, and make plans now to fish a qualifying event.
