Marlin Club Looks to Even Challenge Cup

OCEAN CITY- The Ocean City Marlin Club will seek to even the decades-long series with its friendly rivals from Cape May this weekend when the two clubs compete for the annual Challenge Cup for the 35th time.
The Challenge Cup, which pits teams of boats from the Ocean City Marlin Club against teams of boats from the Cape May Marlin and Tuna Club, officially began in 1979 as formal competition between the friendly rivals which share the same canyons off the coast of the resort. The two rival clubs meet each September to compete for the Challenge Cup and bragging rights until next year.
Last year, Cape May edged Ocean City in one of the closest tournaments ever to take a 15-14 lead in the series. If either team wins the tournament three years in a row, that cup is retired and remains in the possession of the victors, while the losing club bucks up for a new cup. Ocean City had won two years in a row going into last year and was looking to retire the cup and take an edge in the series, but Cape May won and now leads the series 15-14.
The tournament officially got started yesterday with registration and a captain’s meeting, but the action offshore gets going today with the first of two fishing days. The winner will be awarded the Challenge Cup after the last day of fishing on Saturday.