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Persistence paid in a big way for Sarah Jean at the 23rd annual Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament.
With billfish encounters harder earned than in some previous editions, Capt. Kurt Ward and his crew consistently converted their opportunities throughout the week, releasing one blue marlin and nine sailfish aboard the 58-foot Spencer. Their 830-point total proved enough to separate them from a competitive 61-boat field and secure one of the most lucrative victories in tournament history.
The win was worth $500,599 to Sarah Jean, nearly half of the event’s record $943,500 overall purse when first-place money and optional jackpots were combined. The team also collected the F. Wayne McLeskey Memorial Top Boat honor and Top Crew Award.
Owned by Mike Atkinson of Virginia Beach, Sarah Jean fished with mate Jake Keech and team members Patricia Barton, Tom Barton III, Tommy Barton IV, Ryan Cool, Rachael Davanzo and Steve Richardson.
While Sarah Jean established the mark to beat, the final standings were anything but settled.
Capt. George Powell and the Hatteras Village, North Carolina-based Kimberly Dawn surged into second with a strong finish. Fishing aboard the 61-foot Sportsman, the Powell family team released three blue marlin and two sailfish to accumulate 740 points and $122,100. George Powell Jr. accounted for four of those billfish and was named the tournament’s Top Angler.
Third place went to Capt. Max Weaver and The General. The 55-foot Buddy Cannady from Morehead City, North Carolina, finished the week with one blue marlin and seven sailfish, earning $85,400.
Seven sailfish apiece put two more teams inside the top five. Capt. Jesse Granitzki and Bi-Op Sea, a 59-foot Spencer, claimed fourth, while Capt. Wade Fehlig and the 58-foot Caison Geddy Up settled into fifth based on time of release.
Plenty of money remained in play beyond the overall standings.
On Time, the 60-foot Spencer led by Capt. Cameron Morrow, earned $76,050 after winning the Lay Day Tournament and finishing third in the optional Full Throttle Jackpot. Capt. Will Austin and the 60-foot Rybovich Cheryl Anne finished second in Full Throttle, while Sarah Jean added the division win to its already substantial haul.
Capt. James Breen and Outnumbered, a 65-foot Viking, pocketed $21,350 as the top daily boat on Day 3.
Individual honors were spread throughout the fleet. Shelley Summerville received the Karen Feller Memorial Top Lady Angler award, while Bruce Ash earned the Bryan “Pick” Dalheim Memorial Top Junior Angler title while fishing aboard Capt. Jordy Croswait’s 57-foot Bobby Croswait Strokin’.
The game fish categories added another element to the week.
John B. Roberts topped the dolphin division with a 35.4-pound fish caught aboard Weldor’s Ark, the 55-foot Jarrett Bay captained by Dale Britt. Randy Abbitt weighed a 54.5-pound wahoo aboard the 63-foot Ricky Scarborough Saga, and Bobby Whelan claimed the tuna category with a 65.9-pounder aboard Capt. Colin Oxnard’s 62-foot Spencer Fender Bender. Each winning fish was worth $10,167.
Fender Bender mate Bryce White also received the Joel Webb “Tribute to Excellence” Top Mate Award, known throughout the tournament as “The Webby.”
Not every notable performance ended with a fish alongside the boat. Capt. Alan Neiford and the crew aboard the 60-foot Spencer Mister Pete spent nearly seven hours connected to a blue marlin on light tackle Friday. The fish was finally lost just beyond gaff range after darkness fell, but the prolonged battle earned the team the Wayne Sawyer Victory Lap Hard Charger Award.
Tournament Director Paula Davis praised the fleet for making the most of a week that demanded patience.
“It was another fantastic week,” Davis said. “The fishing wasn’t quite up to our usual pace, but the teams persevered.”
That perseverance ultimately defined the tournament. With fewer easy opportunities available, execution mattered, and Sarah Jean made its bites count. Ten releases, a tournament championship and a $500,599 payday provided a fitting finish to a Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament that set a new benchmark at the payout window.
The tournament returns August 18-21, 2027.
