The laws of physics cannot be broken. Even though the sleek sportfishers competing in the 2018 Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic are fast, many capable of 40 knots or better, they can’t fly. So when you’re more than 100 miles from Destin Pass and being tardy could mean losing out on a six-figure payout, you wait another day.

That was the situation Friday evening at the Baytowne Marina. With the fleet scattered across the central Gulf of Mexico and unable to make it back in before the 8 p.m. deadline, most opted to spend another night offshore. It will be a long, anxious night for two in particular.

Can’t Deny It, a 48 Viking from Ono Island, Alabama with Capt. Bo Keough at the controls, boated a blue marlin that measured 117 inches in the cockpit. Will Beard was the angler on that fish with Todd Terreson the mate. Unde