Capt Keith Greenberg fishing with the Eastern Shore Marlin Club team “Murray’s” brought home 1st place in the Gold Cup with 20 sailfish releases over 3 days.
By JOSEPH LUCIANO
Daily News Sports Editor – Palm Beach Daily News
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Call the Murray family the Susan Lucci of competitive sport fishing.
Lucci was nominated 19 times before winning the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1999, and the Murrays won the 38th Annual Gold Cup Invitational team fishing tournament after 19 years of trying.
The family — team captain Thomas Murray, his wife Nancy, son John and daughter-in-law Debbie — caught and released 20 sailfish to win the tournament, which was hosted by the Sailfish Club of Florida last weekend.
The Murrays, representing the Eastern Shore Marlin Club in Maryland and fishing aboard Contango with Capt. Keith Greenburg, prevailed by releasing nine sailfish on each of the first two days and two more on the third day.
The competition among 19 teams included some of the best sport fishing anglers and crews in the country. Each team fished for three of the tournament’s four days.
A total of 202 sailfish were released, with more than half coming in the first two days.
Second place was captured by a team from the Sailfish Club led by team captain Andres Fanjul of Palm Beach and anglers Carlos Arruza, James MacGregor and Richard Ganter.
Fishing aboard the Alican with Capt. Doug Heaton, they released 20 sailfish to tie the Eastern Shore team, but placed second because of the time of release for their last fish. The Fanjul team has won the event three times, most recently in 2009.
Third place went to Brielle Yacht Club and team captain Robert Bocchino of Jupiter with anglers Craig Bocchino, Geoff Mayfield and Kevin Hawkin, fishing aboard the Mehl Ticket with Capt. Mike Croke.
Team Neptune from the Sailfish Club took fourth. Fishing aboard Innovator with Capt. Greg Leahy were team captain Chris Lazzara and anglers Kendall Cheatham, James Schwarz and Jim Foley.
Fishing under tough conditions on a windy final day, the Lazzara team released nine fish to surge into fourth place.
Individually, Lazzara recorded nine releases for the tournament to earn the John Rybovich Memorial Award for most sailfish releases on dead bait.
The tournament was founded by Rybovich in 1972 to test the skills of teams of anglers catching and releasing sailfish off the east coast of Florida. The Gold Cup is a perpetual trophy maintained by the Sailfish Club and is one of the most coveted prizes in competitive sport fishing.
Next year’s event will be held Jan. 11-15.
