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The 2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup brought a 42-team fleet to Charleston, South Carolina, for another competitive stop on the South Carolina billfish tournament calendar. With a strong lineup of boats and crews fishing out of the Lowcountry, the fourth annual event once again delivered a highly competitive tournament to the region.
When the final leaderboard took shape, Game On, a 64-foot Bayliss captained by Victor Roof, stood at the top of the fleet. The team finished with 3,400 points to win the overall release category and took home $281,700 for the victory.
Claytime, a 60-foot B&D captained by Phillip Fender, finished second overall in the release category with 3,000 points. Rascal, a 61-foot Viking captained by Mark Rogers, rounded out the top three with 2,800 points.
The tournament scoring platform listed 69 released billfish, including 28 blue marlin, 40 sailfish and one white marlin. Game On also led the Blue Marlin Release Points division with 3,000 points, further cementing its position atop the leaderboard. Claytime made an early push by taking the Billfish Daily on Day 1 with 2,600 points, while Game On answered with a 2,600-point performance to win the Billfish Daily on Day 2.
In the meatfish categories, SPORTIN’ LIFE claimed Heaviest Mahi with a 53.30-pound dolphin, Higher Limits weighed the top wahoo at 41.30 pounds, and Maizey Blue took Heaviest Tuna with an 18.60-pound fish. No blue marlin were weighed during the event.
The angler divisions added another layer to the weekend, with Cynthia Starosta aboard Star Fish winning Lady Angler Billfish Release Points with 1,400 points. Reef Simmons, fishing aboard Rare Breed, topped the Youth Angler Billfish Release Points division with 600 points.
With a deep 42-team fleet, strong release numbers and a major payday for the winning crew, the 2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup continued to strengthen its place as one of the key events on the Lowcountry billfish calendar.
