The venerable West Palm Beach Fishing Club (WPBFC) will again host the ‘World's Oldest Sailfish Tournament’ on January 9th and 10th, 2025. In its 88th year, the Silver Sailfish Derby is rich in history with a lot of prestige on the line for participants. The tournament fleet is limited to 50 boats and sold out once again. This offshore tradition continues to draw some of the finest captains, anglers and crews to the Palm Beaches at the height of the sailfishing season.

Those who are not fishing the event can follow tournament boat standings on the Derby’s live scoreboard: https://westpalmbeachfishingclub.org/silver-sailfish-derby-standings/

Started in 1935, this patriarch of billfish tournaments played an important role by attracting people from across the country to the Palm Beaches as a way to stimulate tourism and business at a time when the region needed it most, the years following the Great Depression. Its historical significance to the area and longstanding support of billfish conservation have been the Derby’s hallmark. Perhaps the most notable conservation contribution of the Silver Sailfish Derby is the development of the red release pennant. Today, the little red pennant is recognized around the world as a way to signify a sailfish release. The WPBFC began flying pennants in 1938 and was the first to promote the use of releases flags.

Everything from large sportfish to smaller center console boats will be represented on the water, all rigged to catch and release Atlantic sailfish. The 4-line tournament has teams vying for some of sailfishing’s most coveted awards. The Derby’s top angler award is the Mrs. Henry R. Rea trophy. This magnificent silver sailfish sculpture dates back to the event’s origin in 1935 and is sponsored by Elizabeth Richebourg Rea of Connecticut. The Rea Trophy remains one of the crown jewels in all of angling.