60TH ANNIVERSARY TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Registration & Welcome Event
Tournament week officially gets underway on Monday 21 September at Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns.
- 3:00–4:30 pm: Tournament bag collection will take place on the Pool Deck
- 6:00 pm: Compulsory Skippers’ Briefing
- 6:30 pm: Tournament Welcome Event
- *This event is open to competitors and sponsors only.
Our welcome event is a gathering of all tournament entrants and sponsors and including the live auction of any remaining Calcutta boats, drinks, hospitality and the chance to catch up with the fleet before fishing begins the following morning.
Our official tournament photographers will also be circulating around the various Cairns marinas throughout the day, so make sure the boat is looking sharp and put on your happy faces!
It’s the official start to what promises to be a very special week celebrating 60 years of Cairns black marlin fishing.
SAILPAST & START FISHING
Tuesday morning marks the official start of fishing, with all tournament boats to gather from 7 am in the area adjacent to the Cairns Marlin Marina, ready for the compulsory Sail Past at 7:15 am.
- Boats to gather prior to 7am for a 7:15am sail past.
Participation in the Sail Past is compulsory for all competing boats, with the order of boats and final instructions to be covered at the Skippers’ Briefing on Monday evening.
For sponsors who have registered to watch the Sail Past aboard MV Beluga, boarding will take place in time for a 7:00 am departure.
It will be a great way to launch the tournament, with the general public invited to watch and also be filmed from the sky!
Fishing
Fishing times are:
- Day 1 — Tuesday 22 September: 10:30 am – 5:30 pm
- Day 2 — Wednesday 23 September: 10:30 am – 5:30 pm
- Day 3 — Thursday 24 September: 10:30 am – 5:30 pm
- Day 4 — Friday 25 September: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Tuesday to Thursday, boats still hooked up at cease fishing may continue fighting the fish until a result is confirmed. On Friday, all boats must be back in port by 8:00 pm.
25 September: All boats must be back in port by 8:00 pm Friday 25 September and skippers must confirm their return with Tournament Base before 8:00 pm.
DOCK Party
After the final day of fishing, it’s time to bring the fleet back together and celebrate the end of four days on the reef with the 60th Anniversary Tournament Dock Party.
Hosted with the support of Calypso Fishing Adventures, Tackle World Cairns and Salthouse, the Dock Party will be a chance for competitors, sponsors and friends of the tournament to catch up, swap stories from the week and enjoy a well-earned drink back on the dock.
- From 6:30 – 8:30pm on the lawns at the Salthouse. Hot & Cold Canapés and a free drink for competitors.
- *This event is open to competitors and sponsors only.
The perfect way to wrap up the fishing side of the tournament and tell some tournament stories over a few drinks and good food before we head into Saturday night’s Presentation Gala!
Presentation Gala & Hall of Fame Inductions
The week culminates with the 60th Anniversary Tournament Presentation Gala at the Cairns Convention Centre.
Please arrive from 6:30 pm for a 7:00 pm start and settle in for an evening celebrating the tournament, the fleet and 60 years of Cairns black marlin fishing.
The evening will include the presentation of tournament trophies and awards, Cairns Game Fishing Hall of Fame inductions, special video presentations and more, along with a three-course sit-down dinner and four-hour drinks package.
Dress is smart casual — and please, no thongs. Ladies are welcome to dress up for the night!
It promises to be a very special finale to the 60th Anniversary Tournament and a fitting way to celebrate the people, history and stories that have shaped this fishery.
