Early on Wednesday the south westerly that had come through during the night had abated a bit and about half the fleet headed to sea. The sad message from the weather committee on its WhatsApp group “Called off for today, wind gusting 21 knots at the Point and a very dangerous surf,” put paid to the Monday and Tuesday. Sadly, this time the predictions were largely correct, and even though we fished two and a bit days of the five it was only on the Friday that it was “lekker” to be out on the ocean. They were hoping that the forecasts were wrong and the horrific weather predicted for most of the week would disappear into the ether - or wherever these prognostications came from.
Whilst the tangible prizes they won and the specially minted medals hung around the necks of all the team members will fade into the mists of time, Tropical Dream’s achievement will live on in the halls of OET fame.ĭuring early November 2018 all who had entered this very special competition became focussed on the digital weather map and forecast for the five days from 5 to 9 November 2018. They subsequently received from Francois Human, Mercury’s Technical Manager, the two Mercury motors that had taken pride of place up front in the marquee during the entire week of this, the most prestigious event on South Africa’s offshore angling calendar. This year it was Kobus Sutherland and the crew of Tropical Dream who were acknowledged as the Champions.
Now in its 41st year, those of us who religiously take part in this event have one ambition and that is to mount the dais in the huge marquee to the rampant sound of “We are the Champions” and be awarded the magnificent prize of two Mercury 4-stroke motors. Her final slide up the beach was as grandiose as Kobus Sutherland could make it and his crew disembarked from their craft with smiles that said it all.Īpart from the stringent formalities still to be passed at the final day’s weigh in, it was apparent to all that Tropical Dream’s two striped marlin released that day would make them the winners of the 2018 OET Mercury Bill- and Gamefish Tournament.
TROPICAL Dream charged triumphantly through the surf at Sodwana Bay on Friday 9 November 2018 with the double red tag-and-release flags and two green flags proudly displayed from her starboard outrigger. (Published in the January 2019 issue of Ski-Boat magazine)
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