Thanks for your interest in having your tournament join us as a qualifying event in our prestigious IGFA World Championship Tournament Circuit. However, in order for our selection committee to approve your tournament's participation in our invitational championship circuit, we will require the downloadable Indication of Interest form filled out and returned to us as soon as possible. Please note there are two qualifying event series: the IGFA Inshore World Championship and the IGFA Offshore World Championship. All qualifying events for the 2008 championship take place during the year 2007.

As an IGFA approved qualifying event your tournament would receive many benefits, such as: (a) international recognition in IGFA's International Angler newsletter which is distributed to its members in approximately 125 countries; (b) it will be listed in the IGFA Tournament Calendar as a qualifying event; (c) IGFA will provide material for your angler kits; (d) your tournament will be allowed to use the championship logo in promotional materials; and (e) IGFA will provide a banner identifying your tournament as a qualifying event. A special section of IGFA's website http://www.igfa.org.will be dedicated to all International Inshore and Offshore Championship qualifying events.

Further publicity at the championship tournament itself is inevitable, since each team will be listed as representing the tournament they won. The results of each qualifying event are published in IGFA's International Angler newsletter.

Criteria for Offshore Qualifying Events – 2007

1. Tournament must have a conservation oriented format.  It should either be a release event or have reasonable minimum size requirements for billfish to assure very few billfish are landed.  Minimum sizes will vary depending on average size of fish in that area at that time of year.
   
2. In tournaments of non-billfish species, the rules should still be oriented towards  conservation by having limits on size and/or number of fish permitted to be weighed in.
   
3. No unlimited kill tournaments will be accepted as qualifying events.
   
4. Tournament format should allow for only a single winner to receive an invitation to the offshore championship.  Multiple division winners will not receive an invitation.
   
5. Qualifying events will not be approved if their dates coincide with other qualifying events in the same area.  In case of a conflict, the tournament approved by IGFA earlier will take precedent.
   
6. Target species of qualifying events should be gamefish generally fished for offshore by trolling, chunking, drifting, deep dropping, etc.  These species would include but not be limited to billfish, tuna, sharks, dolphin, wahoo, king mackerel, swordfish, cobia and other species not recognized by the IGFA Inshore World Championship.
   
7. Offshore flyfishing tournaments targeting billfish, tuna, and other offshore species can qualify with the understanding that the offshore championship does not have a flyfishing division.
   
8. Tournaments requesting to be a qualifying event for the first time must submit a copy of their tournament rules along with an Indication of Interest form to IGFA.  Additionally, they must have a recommendation from an IGFA Trustee, International Representative, IGFA staff member, or two tournament directors of an existing qualifying tournament.
   
9. A tournament is required to have a minimum of 10 boats to be considered as a qualifying event.

Upon your acceptance, the obligations of your tournament will be:

• Pay a $300 tournament registration fee. This fee will include the non-returnable IGFA Qualifying Event banner.

IGFA Membership information for all anglers who fish in your tournament will now be included in all tournament shipments sent prior to tournament date. These shipments will include: IGFA Qualifying Event banner, IGFA rules, an Invitation to the 2008 Championship to present to the winner, and IGFA promotional materials you can include in your angler bags.

If you agree to these terms, please acknowledge by paying the $300 registration fee and completing the downloadable Indication of Interest form.

It would be our pleasure to have your tournament join us in 2007 as a IGFA Offshore World Championship qualifying event. If you have any questions or comments please contact:

Offshore Tournament Coordinator –Lesley Arico- larico@igfa.org.

For an "Offshore" Indication of Interest Form, please CLICK HERE.