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St. Lucia Billfish Tournament

18TH International Billfish Tournament in Marigot Bay A Success

Congratulations to all the winners of the 18th International Billfish Tournament in St.Lucia. The Marina at Marigot Bay, the most exclusive yachting destination in the Caribbean and the five-star Discovery Hotel welcomed anglers from all over the Caribbean. The tournament held from September 11- 14th saw fishing vessels that hailed from the neighbouring islands of Trinidad, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Jamaica and St.Lucia.

Whilst there was no record breaking catch to rival the current record of 707lbs, there was much excitement created after Antiguan fishing vessel, Rum N Coke, who reportedly spent six hours struggling to land an 800lb blue marlin on the final day of the tournament. On Saturday the 13th, Two Thou, the winning fishing vessel from Martinique, hooked a 700lb big blue on the Lay Day. All this serves as proof that St.Lucia’s waters are a fishing “hotspot” that lies in the migratory path of the blue marlin.

A Bikini fashion show and Lay-Day festivities on the Marigot Bay La Bas peninsula added to the fun and excitement for the anglers.

Two Thou, captained by Marc Maugee of Martinique, emerged as the Best Overall boat of the tournament with a total of 1,050 points for the most released blue marlin and won the grand prize of $5000 and entry to the IGFA Offshore World Championship. This guarantees them to be the boat to beat in the 2009 tournament.

With plans already underway for 2009, organizers are expecting a record-breaking tournament with bigger and better prizes.

For highlights of the 2008 tournament and information on upcoming events visit the official website at www.stluciabillfish.com

Find out more today click here!

Marigot Bay: More than just a Hurricane Hole

The Marina at Marigot Bay, tucked away on the scenic west coast of St Lucia, has long been known as the eastern Caribbean’s safest and most attractive hurricane hole, but now there’s even more reason to make this harbour your port of choice over the summer months.

As St Lucia lies well south of the main hurricane belt, the island remains vibrant and busy throughout the summer months and Marigot Bay is no exception. The Marina Village, with its wide range of shops, boutiques, French bakery, bank and supermarket is open year round as is the new luxury Discovery at Marigot Bay resort and spa situated right above the docks.

The bay itself is dotted with bars and restaurants filled with visitors and locals alike.

“ Traditionally, larger yachts tend to leave the Caribbean and head back to the Mediterranean for the summer months,” said Molly McDaniel, PR and marketing manager for The Marina at Marigot Bay, “but they don’t know what they’re missing.”

She continued: “As the tradewinds diminish, the waters around St Lucia become much clearer providing some of the best scuba diving and deep sea fishing conditions of the year. The seas are calmer in the summer months with relatively little swell making sea-going experiences much more comfortable for the uninitiated.”

As further enticement, visiting yachts will also get to enjoy lower rates at the marina during the summer period with special discounts for long stays, while the associated Discovery resort also extends low season summer rates for their rooms.

Fishing tours and other attractions also tend to lower their rates during the summer months.

“ The Marina at Marigot Bay is the perfect gateway for exploring the Grenadines, Tobago, Grenada and the other southern islands of the Caribbean. St Lucia is close to Venezuela, an easy to reach refuge for larger yachts in the unlikely event that a storm should head our way,” McDaniel said.

“ There are so many reasons to spend summer in the southern Caribbean. With Cricket World Cup action stretching into late April, it makes sense for the large yachts here on charter to stay on a little longer and enjoy Marigot Bay, St Lucia and all of the stunning island gems to the south. They’ll be pleased they did!”