VBSF Sponsor "Backlash" wins Hatteras Village Offshore Open

Hatteras Village Offshore Open results are in and VBSF Sponsor "Backlash" took home the top prize! Rachael Davanzo's 613 pound Blue Marlin put them in a strong position on day two of the tourney and they went on to hold their 1st place spot.

The story behind the catch reads like a script out of Hollywood...

The "Backlash" was ready to go for the tourney. Capt Steve Richardson and his mates Capt Mike Romeo of the "Gannet" and Cameron were set to meet the angling crew. But at the last minute, most of the team backed out. One member decided it wasn't going to stop her. Rachael Davanzo wanted to go fishing and being the only angler wasn't going to change her mind. She paid the entry fees and off they went.

Day One saw Rachael and the crew of "Backlash" catch and release a Blue Marlin shortly after 2:00 in the afternoon. This was one of 17 Blue Marlin caught on the 1st day of the tournament. There was a Blue weighed on Day One that was just over 480 pounds. "Backlash" now knew what needed to be done.

Day two saw overcast skies and drizzle throughout the day. This didn't keep the team from fishing though. Just after 11:00 they strike gold. The right short rigger gets nailed and the game is on. Cameron and Capt Mike clear lines and Rachael settles in for her fight. After 32 minutes they have the fish at the boat and bring it in to measure. Being good stewards of the sea, they did this without gaffing it to make sure that the fish was a qualifier. If not it would have been released unharmed. The tape told them it was big enough. It measured 115 inches and had a girth of 69 inches. The crew was estimating the fish just over 500 pounds because of its relatively short length. They would find out otherwise at the scales.

Because they thought it was just around 500 and not sure if it would beat the previous day's weighed fish, they kept fishing. Keeping the fish wet and iced in the pit, they tried for another release.

Back at the scales, to their surprise, the fish scaled at 613 pounds. This gave "Backlash" 2 points per pound, added to their release points from Day One it gave them 1626 points and a solid command of 1st place. With a lay day on Friday and an uneventful day Saturday, Rachael and the crew of "Backlash" won 1st Place.

Rachael is an avid angler and runs the circuit of marlin tournaments. She is also an active member of the Virginia Beach Billfish Foundation. Rachael claims she now has a new lucky number, number 13. Her first Blue Marlin was released on April 13th of 2006. This Blue Marlin weighed 613 pounds and was caught during the 13th Annual Hatteras Village Offshore Open. Seems like 13 can be a lucky number.

Congrats to Rachael, Capt Steve Richardson and the rest of the crew of "Backlash"!