2024 Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship Rules - V.6
The Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship is a multi-Tournament Point Series consisting of four Gulf Coast Billfish Tournaments. The purpose of the Championship is to bring positive recognition and exposure to the outstanding Big Game fishing in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
The 2024 Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship winning team will be eligible to receive:
- The James Williams Grand Marlin Triple Crown Championship sculpture.
- Winner plaque on the Perpetual Championship Trophy at the Wharf.
- Winner recognition on the iconic Wharf Marlin Tower.
- Bragging rights as winners of the most sought-after Championship in Sportfishing.
Scoring/points:
There is no requirement to participate in all Championship tournaments. The 2024 Championship winner will be determined by total accumulated GCTC points (as defined below).Competing in the Series finale at the 2024 Blue Marlin Grand Championship is a requirement.
In the event of a participating Tournament Category with no official second and third place positions, points will be awarded from first place only. In the event no eligible fish in a Category are weighed, no points for that Category will be awarded to the Series.
Weather rescheduled tournaments must be completed prior to the Blue Marlin Grand Championship.
2024 Championship Points
| Place | Blue Marlin | Catch & Release |
| 1st | 250 | 250 |
| 2nd | 175 | 175 |
| 3rd | 100 | 100 |
2024 GCTC Sanctioned Tournaments:
| May 14 - 19 | Orange Beach Billfish Classic | The Wharf, Orange Beach, AL |
| June 3 - 9 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic | Biloxi, MS |
| June 19 - 23 | Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic | Sandestin, FL |
| July 10 - 14 | Blue Marlin Grand Championship | The Wharf, Orange Beach, AL |
Notes:
Only officially weighed and scored Blue Marlin positions and officially scored Catch & Release video positions resulting in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place from the Tournament Entry of participating tournaments will be counted towards GCTC Championship Points. *ECBC - Catch & Release points will be awarded based on the results of participants entered in the E2 - Release Division.
Tournament Optional Jackpots/Calcutta/Cash Awards do not count towards GCTC scoring.
Tie Breaker Policy:
- Ties will be broken by the heaviest Blue Marlin weighed/placed in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd position in a participating tournament.
- If no Blue Marlin were weighed by the tied boats the tie will be broken by the boat with the greatest number of Catch & Release scored points in a participating tournament.
- If still tied, the boat which reached the total amount of scored points first in a participating tournament will be declared the winner.
- If tie remains, it will be resolved by a coin toss.
Contested Points/Positions/Winners:
In the event of a contested/protested award at a participating Tournament, GCTC Championship points will not be allocated to the boat(s) involved in the disputed position(s) of the particular tournament until the dispute is resolved. In the event the contested position/dispute is not resolved by the conclusion of the GCTC Series at the Blue Marlin Grand Championship no points will be awarded from the tournament involved to the boats remaining in the dispute.The boat with the most GCTC points at the conclusion of the Blue Marlin Grand Championship will be declared the winner - regardless of any future resolution of the contested positions/disputes related to other participating tournament(s).
Cancelled Tournaments:
No points will be awarded from the cancelled event. In the event The Blue Marlin Grand Championship is cancelled, the 2024 GCTC winner will determined from the official Championship standings at the conclusion of the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic.Gulf Coast Triple Crown Tournament Committee decisions are final in all matters pertaining to the Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship Series.
Rules subject to change prior to the beginning of competition.