Rules are Subject to Change. Final instructions are given at the Captain’s Meeting which takes place Wednesday, June 25 between 6:00–7:00pm in the Camellia Ballroom on the 2nd floor of the Baytowne Conference Center in The Village of Baytowne Wharf.

1. Rules Acceptance
It is the responsibility of the captain, crew and anglers to understand and abide by the Tournament’s rules including any special instructions or changes that may be announced during the Captain’s Meeting. At least one representative from each team must be present at the Meeting. The Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin expects the highest level of integrity and sportsmanship from its participants.

2. Permits and Licenses
Registered boats and anglers must comply with all Federal and Florida state laws regarding fishing licenses, size limits, bag limits and any other regulations that may apply. For information regarding Florida Saltwater Fishing Licenses refer to www.floridaconservation.org (specifically http://myfwc.com/fishingareas.html) or call 888.347.4356. For information regarding Federal HMS Permits refer to www.nmfspermits.com or call 888.872.8862 for automated renewal.

3. Dockage at Baytowne Marina
Slips at Baytowne Marina are reserved on a first come, first served basis only for those boats that have sent their entry form and $1000 deposit. Dockage fees are not included in entry fees, but special tournament rates are offered. To reserve a slip call Shawna Meisner at 866.505.4458 or email shawnameisner@sandestin.com.

4. Tournament Start - Departure Location, Time and Check-Out
Tournament boats may depart from any location they choose, but must depart through the East Pass in Destin no earlier than Thursday, June 26 at 7:00pm. Tournament Officials stationed at the East Pass will check out boats between 7:00 and 8:00pm. Boats docked at Baytowne Marina are asked to leave in the Boat Parade which is led by the yacht Solaris and signaled by flare at 6:00pm. Please do not leave ahead of the Solaris.

Additional rules:
• All boats departing Baytowne Marina must check out with Tournament Officials on VHF Channel 72.
• Boats leaving from Choctawhatchee Bay or Destin Harbor must check out with the Tournament Officials stationed at the East Pass as they either pass under the Destin Bridge or enter the East Pass.
• Tournament Officials stationed at the East Pass will confirm the departing boats both visually and on VHF Channel 72.
• Boats wishing to depart after 8:00pm should call Tournament Headquarters at 866.505.4458 to check out.
• Other details are given at the Captain’s Meeting.

5. Fishing Dates and Times
Tournament fishing starts at 7:00pm on Thursday, June 26 (as soon as boats depart through the East Pass in Destin) and continues through Saturday, June 28 at 6:00pm. Overnight fishing is allowed on Thursday and Friday night. No lines or teasers may be in the water before the official start or after the official end of tournament fishing. This does not apply to bait fishing, but does apply to specifically targeting one of the Tournament’s eligible species.

6. Weather
ECBC Officials may cancel any tournament fishing day if, in their best judgment, unsafe conditions exist at sea. Resumption of fishing is announced by 6:00am the following morning on VHF Channel 72. A resumption of fishing announcement by ECBC Officials does not ensure the safety of any registered participant or guest. Whether or not to fish must be based solely on the team’s own judgment taking into consideration the prevailing conditions, the seaworthiness of their vessel, and the crew’s seamanship skills. One day of offshore fishing, or any part thereof, by at least one-third of registered boats constitutes a complete tournament. If both days are weathered out, entry fees less tournament expenses are refunded.

7. Eligible Species, Points and Limits
During video verification, if a fish can clearly be identified as a billfish but the species cannot be determined, the fish will be awarded 175 points.
LJFL = Lower Jaw Fork Length, CFL = Curved Fork Length.

Species	Release Points	Weight Points	Minimums	Bag Limit
Blue Marlin	400	1 per pound	103" LJFL	1/angler/day
White Marlin	200	n/a	release only	n/a
Sailfish	175	n/a	release only	n/a
Spearfish	175	n/a	release only	n/a
Dolphin	n/a	1 per pound	25 lbs.	3/team/day
Yellowfin Tuna	n/a	1 per pound	27" CFL	3/team/day
Bluefin Tuna	n/a	1 per pound	27" CFL	3/team/day
Blackfin Tuna	n/a	1 per pound	27" CFL	3/team/day
Bigeye Tuna	n/a	1 per pound	27" CFL	3/team/day
Wahoo	n/a	1 per pound	25 lbs.	3/team/day

8. Boundaries
There are no boundaries.

9. Equipment and Angling Rules
IGFA Saltwater Equipment and Angling rules apply with the exception of any special instructions given in these rules, and any instructions or changes that may be given during the Captain’s Meeting. Copies of the IGFA rules are handed out during Registration. PLEASE NOTE: As of January 1, 2008 the Federal Government requires the use of non-offset circle hooks in billfish tournaments when using natural baits (dead or live) or natural baits in combination with lures or skirts.

10. Communications
ECBC Officials and Committee Boats monitor VHF Channel 72. Committee Boats and backup communication numbers are announced at the Captain’s Meeting.

11. Reporting Billfish and Billfish Catch Affirmations
The Billfish Catch Affirmation (BCA) form is the Team’s record of billfish hooked and subsequently released, tagged, lost or boated. Affirmations are compared to the Committee Boat radio logs for verification. Billfish should be recorded as caught to ensure accuracy. If you catch a billfish, you must turn in a BCA. Billfish Catch Affirmation forms are distributed during Registration.

As soon as you release or boat a billfish, call the Committee Boat and report Boat Name, Angler Name, Species, and Status (Released or Boated). In addition, billfish hooked within the last hour of fishing on the last day, and billfish still being fought at lines out must be reported to the Committee Boat. If a Committee Boat cannot be raised, a verifiable report must be given to another tournament boat and the boat name noted on the BCA. Committee Boats are announced during the Captain’s Meeting.

Lost billfish should not be reported to the Committee Boat but should be recorded on the BCA for statistical purposes. The same applies to recording the time the billfish was hooked and whether it was tagged.

Before turning in your BCA be sure it’s filled in completely including a suffix if necessary for the angler (i.e. Jr., Sr., III). If the angler was a Lady, check off under the L column. If the angler was a Junior, write in the junior’s age under the JR column.

The boat captain and all anglers who caught billfish must print their name and sign the BCA indicating they affirm the information as recorded. Turn in all copies of the BCA to the Scoring Table (see Rule #14). If you did not catch a billfish you do not need to turn in a BCA.

12. Cash Release Division and Release Jackpot Verification
In addition to returning a signed BCA, teams competing in the cash Release Division (Level 2) or the optional Release Jackpots must turn in a video recording of each billfish released no later than 10:00pm Saturday, June 28. The video must show the billfish next to the boat, identify the billfish species and include the tournament’s verification object. Teams are expected to provide their own video cameras and video cassettes.

13. Official Billfish Release
A billfish is considered officially released when the leader connection is wound to the tip of the rod, or the mate or other crew member touches the leader. Tagging is not required for tournament points.

14. Scoring Deadlines
Scoring closes Friday at 9:00pm and at 10:00pm on Saturday. BCAs and videos must be turned in by the deadline; weigh-in forms will continue to be collected until all boats in line have weighed their fish. The Scoring Table is located next to the Weigh Station.

15. Weigh-In
Boats wishing to weigh a fish must be under the East Pass Bridge in Destin by Saturday, June 28 at 9:00pm.

The official tournament Weigh Station is located at the Baytowne Marina at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. All fish must be weighed at the official Weigh Station. The scales are open Friday, June 27 from 4:00pm–9:00pm and Saturday, June 28 from 4:00pm–10:00pm. The weigh station will remain open on Saturday until all fish that are in line are weighed. Fish are weighed to the tenth of a pound. Additional rules:

• Fish must be brought to the scales on the boat on which they were caught. Should a situation arise where a boat cannot make it back by the deadline, the fish and angler may be transferred to another tournament boat, after consulting with ECBC Officials.
• Boats are lined up to weigh in the order in which they arrive.
• Fish must arrive at the dock in edible condition.
• The angler must remain with the fish throughout the weigh-in process.
• Before leaving the scales, the angler must verify weight information and sign the official Weigh-In form.
• All fish weighed become the property of the tournament.

The Weighmaster and ECBC Officials reserve the right to refuse to weigh any fish that does not meet tournament requirements.

16. Breaking Ties
Ties between the weights of two or more fish are broken by the time the fish was weighed. Ties between Release Points are broken by the time of release as recorded on the Committee Boat radio logs. Times are recorded to the whole minute.

17. Protests
Registered participants may submit a protest against any fish entered. Protests must be submitted in writing to the Chairman of the Rules Committee before the official close of the Weigh Station (June 28 at 10:00pm). Protests must be accompanied by $500 cash (non-refundable) and documented evidence surrounding the incident.

18. Polygraph Examination
All registered Participants agree to submit to a polygraph examination if requested to do so by ECBC Officials. Failure to comply will result in disqualification of the Participant and, at the discretion of ECBC Officials, the Participant’s entire team. Disqualified Participants and/or Teams forfeit any and all entry money, prizes or prize money, and are refused entry to future ECBC tournaments. The decision of the Rules Committee is final.

LIABILITY RELEASE
It is expressly understood that all registered participants and their companions, crew members and observers (the "Participants") participate in the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin (the "Tournament") at their own risk. The Participants hereby indemnify and agree to save harmless the Tournament, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, the Village of Baytowne Wharf, Baytowne Marina and Tournament Control, Inc. and their respective officers, directors, employees, volunteers, agents, partners, members and/or attorneys (collectively the "Tournament Indemnified Parties"), from and against any and all claims that arise from or in connection with any negligent act or omission of the Tournament Indemnified Parties. All persons connected directly or indirectly with the operation of the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin, whether individual or corporation, shall have no liability whatsoever for any special, incidental, consequential, punitive, exemplary and/or any other damage including without limitation, any damages arising from libel, slander, loss, damage, negligence, harm, injury or death. The Tournament Committee reserves the right to refuse entry to any boat, team or person.

Participants specifically consent to the use of any photograph in which they appear, or audio recording, by the Tournament for any purpose whatsoever including, but not limited to, resale, advertising and promotional material without compensation or restriction of any kind.

This Liability Release shall be binding upon the Participants and their respective heirs, personal representatives, successors and assigns. By entering the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin and paying the entry fee, Participants acknowledge that they have read the Rules and the Liability Release and are bound by same.