Atlantic Division Championship weekend is here, and it has been quite a week before the boats made it through the inlet. Day one of this SFC tournament overlaps with the final day of The MidAtlantic. The tournament also uses the same 125 nautical mile boundary as The MidAtlantic.
For more information on what’s at stake this weekend, refer back to the tournament preview and power rankings I published earlier this week.
THURSDAY, AUG. 20: MIDATLANTIC UPDATE
*All Times Eastern Standard (ET)
6:00 PM: POTENTIAL $1.47 MILLION DOLLAR FISH! The New Jersey Sea Birds, competing as Taylor Jean in th MidAtlantic boat a 680 lb. blue marlin, reeled in by Dave McKendrick. If it holds through Friday, they will win the top prize of the MidAtlantic.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21: DAY 1
3:50 AM: SOUTH FLORIDA SAILS CLINCH A ZANE GREY CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF BERTH. Leaving the Ocean City Sea Buoy is all Captain Mike King and the sails needed to punch their ticket.
4:55 AM: NEW JERSEY SEA BIRDS CLINCH A ZANE GREY CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF BERTH. Captain Blaine Birch head out, and now it is officially a two-boat fight for the division title. The other five boats are fishing for money and pride.
8:00 AM: LINES IN.
11:25 AM: NORTH CAROLINA FLARE GET THE FIRST RELEASE OF THE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP. Mark Dressler releases a white marlin and the early hot starts continue for Flare AC.
11:38 AM: LIGHTS OUT BOSTON RELEASE A BLUE MARLIN. We have a new leader! The 2025 Atlantic Division champs are on top early thanks to Spencer Talbot. Captain Rob Carmichael made sure to raise the point with me that Lights Out won this tournament last year, taking issue with their spot in my pre-tournament power rankings.
12:18 PM: SOUTH CAROLINA OUTCAST RELEASE A DOUBLE. White marlin for Steven Lackey and Capt. Stuart Lackey’s brother Dale Lackey get the releases in Stuart’s final tournament at the helm of the Outcast.
DAY 1 LEADERBOARD AT 12:30 PM:
Lights Out Boston - 450 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 200 Points
North Carolina Flare -100 Points
South Florida Sails
New Jersey Sea Birds
East Coast Remix
Rhode Island Breakers
12:31 PM: WHITE MARLIN DOUBLE FOR LIGHTS OUT: Casey Carmichael and Matteo Scena add 200 Points
DAY 1 LEADERBOARD AT 12:45 PM:
Lights Out Boston - 650 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 200 Points
North Carolina Flare -100 Points
South Florida Sails
New Jersey Sea Birds
East Coast Remix
Rhode Island Breakers
12:59 PM: RHODE ISLAND BREAKERS RELEASE A WHITE MARLIN and slide into fourth place. George Barrett lands the fish for the Breakers, coming off a great showing in the Beach Haven White Marlin Invitational and also competing in the MidAtlantic.
1:20 PM: Outcast are hooked up! Looking for a species confirmation.
1:45 PM: It’s a yellowfin tuna. Delicious, but no points in this tournament.
1:50 PM: We’re seeing North Carolina Flare AC trying to pitch what they think is a blue marlin.
1:54 PM: East Coast Remix are hooked up! Sarah Melia-Cleare is in the chair and winding down.
1:57 PM: EAST COAST REMIX RELEASE A WHITE MARLIN. Sarah Melia-Cleare gets hr squad onto the leaderboard in fifth place to start, even on points with the Rhode Island Breakers.
That means the only two angling clubs without a release so far are the New Jersey Sea Birds and South Florida Sails, the two clubs contending for the division title.
DAY 1 LEADERBOARD AT 2:30 PM:
Lights Out Boston - 650 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 200 Points
North Carolina Flare -100 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
East Coast Remix - 100 Points
South Florida Sails
New Jersey Sea Birds
3:03 PM: Lights Out add another 100 points to their lead with a white marlin released by Ross Nasin.
DAY 1 LEADERBOARD AT 3:15 PM:
Lights Out Boston - 750 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 200 Points
North Carolina Flare -100 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
East Coast Remix - 100 Points
South Florida Sails
New Jersey Sea Birds
3:24 PM: Mark Dressler releases a white Marlin to get even with South Carolina Outcast in second place on points, but their Lowcountry neighbors have the advantage on time.
3:30 PM: LINES OUT
DAY 1 LEADERBOARD AT LINES OUT:
Lights Out Boston - 750 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 200 Points
North Carolina Flare -200 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
East Coast Remix - 100 Points
South Florida Sails
New Jersey Sea Birds
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22: DAY 2
3:00 AM: The New Jersey Sea Birds waste no time and push off the dock to head out the inlet first. They have some work to do to catch up to their old rivals from 2025, Lights out Boston
8:00 AM: LINES IN
8:20 AM: SOUTH FLORIDA SAILS WASTE NO TIME THIS MORNING. Alex Stanley releases a white marlin to get the division leaders on the board, sliding into sixth place. Should they find another fish before Remix and the Rhode Island Breakers, they will jump to fourth.
8:53 AM: NORTH CAROLINA FLARE JUMP BACK INTO SECOND. David Dressler releases a white marlin to put South Carolina Outcast back down to third place.
DAY 2 LEADERBOARD AT 9:00 AM
Lights Out Boston - 750 Points
North Carolina Flare - 300 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 200 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
East Coast Remix - 100 Points
South Florida Sails - 100 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds
9:05 AM: NEW JERSEY SEA BIRDS ARE HOOKED UP. Jay Brower is winding down.
9:09 AM: EVERYBODY IS ON THE BOARD: NEW JERSEY SEA BIRDS release a white marlin. Now behind the Sails on time, every fish matters to lock down the division title.
9:15 AM: NORTH CAROLINA FLARE ARE HOOKED UP AGAIN. They’re on some fish, and look to be capitalizing on their opportunities.
9:17 AM: Flare get the release and making some separation from Outcast. Trey Branyai was the angler who secured a quick release.
DAY 2 LEADERBOARD AT 9:30 AM
Lights Out Boston - 750 Points
North Carolina Flare - 400 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 200 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
East Coast Remix - 100 Points
South Florida Sails - 100 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 100 Points
9:40 AM: East Coast Remix release another white marlin, courtesy of Brent Feder. Feder fished with Remix earlier this season and is back on the boat making an immediate contribution. Remix jumps the Rhode Island Breakers for fourth place with that fish.
DAY 2 LEADERBOARD AT 10:00 AM
Lights Out Boston - 750 Points
North Carolina Flare - 400 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 200 Points
East Coast Remix - 200 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
South Florida Sails - 100 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 100 Points
11:03 AM: South Carolina Outcast get another white marlin from Griffin Moxley to protect third place. The Lowcountry legends are now trying to give chase to North Carolina Flare in second.
11:05 AM: Sea Birds get another white from Jay Brower as well, jumping Rhode Island Breakers and South Florida Sails. The Flock may be in the middle of the pack this weekend, but that fish puts them ahead of the Sails in the divisional championship picture as well. Consider the head-to-head between Sea Birds and Sails to almost be a tournament within a tournament this weekend.
11:07 AM: North Carolina Flare lane another white! Mark Dressler’s release put them 250 points behind Lights Out in the lead, and give them more separation from South Carolina Outcast in third.
DAY 2 LEADERBOARD AT 11:45 AM
Lights Out Boston - 750 Points
North Carolina Flare - 500 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 300 Points
East Coast Remix - 200 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 200 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
South Florida Sails - 100 Points
12:12 PM: NEW JERSEY SEA BIRDS UP TO FOURTH! Jay Brower gets yet another white marlin and they are even on points with South Carolina Outcast who sit in third.
12:41 PM: THE FLARE HEATER CONTINUES! Trey Baranyai finds another white marlin and the gap to Lights Out Boston is only 50 points. Another white will give them the lead.
DAY 2 LEADERBOARD AT 12:00 PM
Lights Out Boston - 750 Points
North Carolina Flare - 700 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 300 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 300 Points
East Coast Remix - 200 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
South Florida Sails - 100 Points
1:09 PM: DAVE MCKENDRICK HAS A BLUE MARLIN FOR THE SEA BIRDS! The Flock soars into second after being at the bottom of the leaderboard yesterday. Equal on points with Lights Out Boston.
DAY 2 LEADERBOARD AT 1:15 PM
Lights Out Boston - 750 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 750 Points
North Carolina Flare - 700 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 300 Points
East Coast Remix - 200 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
South Florida Sails - 100 Points
1:27 PM: McKendrick is still fighting this fish, but it was already called in. The claim is that the leader has already passed through the rod tip, indicating a scoring fish. We're looking for live verification. If anything, a separate leader touch for the successful release will ensure the score.
1:39 PM: It doesn't matter: Jarrett Birch gets the leader touch for the official release, making the initial report nothing but a formality. Nobody else released a fish in that time while McKendrick continued to fight the fish to be concerned with the initial 1:09 PM report.
2:49 PM: LIGHTS OUT GRAND SLAM! Rob West releases a sailfish to trigger the grand slam bonus for an extra 200 points and to extend their lead.
2:56 PM: South Florida Sails find another white marlin courtesy of angler Mark McDevitt, bringing them to 200 points. Sails need to rally between now and tomorrow to win the division. They bump the Rhode Island Breakers to the bottom of the leaderboard.
DAY 2 LEADERBOARD AT 3:00 PM
Lights Out Boston - 1,025 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 750 Points
North Carolina Flare - 700 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 300 Points
East Coast Remix - 200 Points
South Florida Sails - 200 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
3:12 PM: South Florida Sails add another and jump to fifth, courtesy of Lee Albarty dropping East Coast Remix to sixth.
3:30 PM: LINES OUT
DAY 2 LEADERBOARD AT LINES OUT
Lights Out Boston - 1,025 Points
New Jersey Sea Birds - 750 Points
North Carolina Flare - 700 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 300 Points
South Florida Sails - 300 Points
East Coast Remix - 200 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY, AUGUST 23:
3:00 AM: Boats begin departing from Ocean City one last time.
8:00 AM: LINES IN. Let’s get this day started
8:23 AM: WE HAVE A NEW LEADER! SEA BIRDS RELEASE ANOTHER BLUE MARLIN. Jay Brower adds a blue to their total and those 450 points more than close the gap to Lights Out Boston.
CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY LEADERBOARD AT 8:30 AM
New Jersey Sea Birds - 1,200 Points
Lights Out Boston - 1,025 Points
North Carolina Flare - 700 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 300 Points
South Florida Sails - 300 Points
East Coast Remix - 200 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
8:49 AM: HERE COMES SOUTH FLORIDA SAILS. When speaking to Captain Blaine Birch at the dock yesterday after day two, he mentioned he guaranteed Mike King would have a blue and a white marlin released by the morning. He’s right on half of that prediction so far. Lee Albarty releases the 450-point fish to jump up to third place in the standings and is now threatening both Lights Out Boston and The Flock.
Lock in, this is going to be a wild Championship Sunday.
9:07 AM: NORTH CAROLINA FLARE AC JUMP BACK INTO THIRD PLACE. Mark Dressler releases their eighth white marlin to jump South Florida Sails by 50 points.
CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY LEADERBOARD AT 9:30 AM
New Jersey Sea Birds - 1,200 Points
Lights Out Boston - 1,025 Points
North Carolina Flare - 800 Points
South Florida Sails - 750 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 300 Points
East Coast Remix - 200 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
9:57 AM: LIGHTS OUT HIT BACK. The living legend Ray Rosher releases a white marlin to get within a sailfish’s worth of points behind the New Jersey Sea Birds. Checking in with Captain Rob Carmichael this morning, they went south with Captain Mike King and the South Florida Sails.
CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY LEADERBOARD AT 10:00 AM
New Jersey Sea Birds - 1,200 Points
Lights Out Boston - 1,125 Points
North Carolina Flare - 800 Points
South Florida Sails - 750 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 300 Points
East Coast Remix - 200 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
12:12 PM: East Coast Remix find another white marlin thanks to Brent Feder and look to climb up the leaderboard, now even on points with South Carolina Outcast.
CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY LEADERBOARD AT 12:15 PM
New Jersey Sea Birds - 1,200 Points
Lights Out Boston - 1,125 Points
North Carolina Flare - 800 Points
South Florida Sails - 750 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 300 Points
East Coast Remix - 300 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
1:20 PM: The Sea Birds have opened a barber shop, following through with their bet from The MidAtlantic. Dave proposed shaving his head and dying his mustache should they win heaviest fish with their blue marlin.
The clippers came out, and the ‘stache is looking more like Tom Selleck by the minute.
1:40 PM: East Coast Remix is hooked up, but it looks to be a big wahoo.
2:07 PM: BACK EVEN AT THE TOP ON POINTS! Lights Out Boston and Kyle Paparelli release a second sailfish of this tournament. The 75 points bring them even on points with the leading New Jersey Sea Birds but behind on time.
2:16 PM: NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND! Dave McKendrick gets his first fish after his new makeover, a white marlin, to go 100 points above Lights Out Boston.
CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY LEADERBOARD AT 2:30 PM
New Jersey Sea Birds - 1,300 Points
Lights Out Boston - 1,200 Points
North Carolina Flare - 800 Points
South Florida Sails - 750 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 300 Points
East Coast Remix - 300 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
2:47 PM: More insurance for the Sea Birds. Jay Brower adds another white marlin to his and his club’s tally, bringing them up to 1,400 points within an hour of lines out.
2:50 PM: South Carolina Outcast and Steven Lackey release a white marlin to give them some separation from East Coast Remix.
CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY LEADERBOARD AT 3:00 PM
New Jersey Sea Birds - 1,400 Points
Lights Out Boston - 1,200 Points
North Carolina Flare - 800 Points
South Florida Sails - 750 Points
South Carolina Outcast - 400 Points
East Coast Remix - 300 Points
Rhode Island Breakers - 100 Points
3:20 PM: LIGHTS OUT HOOKED ON A FISH. They think it’s a blue marlin…and it would be the tournament winner if that’s the case.
3:23 PM: IT’S A BLUE FOR LIGHTS OUT…CAN THEY BRING THIS IN?
3:25 PM: NO! It swims away…heartbreak for Lights Out Boston, but all support as well in the cockpit. They quickly reset and see if they can find it again.
3:30 PM: LINES OUT! NEW JERSEY SEA BIRDS WIN THE TOURNAMENT AND THE ATLANTIC DIVISION TITLE.
The Flock cap off a historic weekend by avenging their second place Atlantic Division finish in 2025.
The Sea Birds mount a furious rally to be within striking distance of their old rivals from 2025
The Flock cap off a historic weekend by avenging their second place Atlantic Division finish in 2025.
Lights Out Boston start hot in defense of their tournament win last year.
The Atlantic Division comes down to this final stop in Ocean City
SFC’s Garden State club expands its commitment to New Jersey billfishing through partnership with the nation’s oldest white marlin tournament
