FINAL: Key West Classic Day 3 (Sat) of 3

May 1, 2004......FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -
For information contact:Pete Johnson, Johnson Communications, 480-951-3654, johnsoncom@aol.com

Wire to wire win for Harris team in Key West Classic

Defending champs win Mercury Redbone series tournament without a fish on the final day.

KEY WEST (May 1, 2004) - Veteran Key West light tackle guide Kenny Harris and his team didn't catch any fish Saturday, but still managed to survive more than 110 angler entrants in a 41-boat field to take top honors in the billfish division at the 16th Annual Key West Classic, presented by the Boomer Esiason Foundation.

The newest Mercury Outboards Redbone event in the 28 tournament series for cystic fibrosis research saw Harris along with his son Clay both of Key West, and angler Bill Glynn, Marshfield, Mass., stay ahead by less than two points with their 146.7 point total. They had caught two sailfish along with a dolphin on Thursday's first round and followed up with another dolphin on Friday before blanking on Saturday. "I know when I'm good and I know when I'm lucky," said Harris, who has captured seven division wins in the Classic's history. "I was good and lucky this tournament."

;Ironically, Harris was not even targeting sailfish. "I was actually blue marlin fishing," he said. "For me to come away with a win was surprising."

Closing in on them was The Natural, captained by Reece Lewis, with anglers Walt Thomas of Fort Myers, and Ray Chotnowski of Little Torch Key. Their biggest fish on Saturday was a dolphin at 17.9 lbs. less than two pounds shy of what they needed for a win. They finished in second place with 145.2 points, while Steven Selka and Don Barton of Key West teamed with Aaron Selka of Fort Myers taking third onboard Jon Snider's The Raptor. In the light tackle division it was the release of a permit that made the difference for the win by the Coolwater, skippered by Capt. Chris Garcia, Key West. Anglers Roy Marlow and Keith Arthur, both from the United Kingdom scored 360 points from releases of one sailfish, three tarpon and four permit. Finishing second was the Baitstealer with Capt. Dale Bittner, Key West, and anglers Bob Finzi and Gene Weber, both from San Francisco, Ca.

They totaled 320 points from one sail, three tarpon and three permit. The winners in numerous divisions and largest fun fish categories divided a $35,000 purse. No marlin were caught but the $9,500 in prize money from that division was donated to the Mercury Redbone and the Esiason Foundation in their efforts to raise money for research of the debilitating disease. The Classic is a qualifying event for the Rolex/International Game Fish Association Offshore and Inshore Championship Tournaments, to be held in 2005. Tournament director Findlay Sinclair said three days of abnormally stiff winds and heavy seas challenged the 41 boats in the field. ;The Key West Classic is one of three big-game/offshore tournaments in the Mercury Redbone series that includes more than two-dozen U.S. and international competitions, many of which feature sports and broadcast celebrities.

;For more information on the entire Redbone series across the U.S. and internationally, please contact Susan Ellis at the Redbone office in Islamorada, Fla., 305-664-2002 or redboneinc@aol.com .

Final Results:                   16^th KEY WEST CLASSIC, presented by The Boomer Esiason Foundation

A Mercury Outboards Redbone tournament series event
April 28 - May 1, 2004 - Key West, Fla.

Marlin/Offshore Division - No marlin caught

Sailfish Division

1. Finesse - Capt. Ken Harris, Key West, with anglers Clay Harris, Key West, and Bill Glynn, Marshfield, Mass. -- 146.7 points
2. The Natural - Capt. Reece Lewis, Summerland Key, with anglers Walt Thomas, Ft. Myers and Ray Chotnowski, Little Torch Key - 145.2 pts
3. The Raptor - Capt. Jon Snider, Key West, with anglers Steven Selka, Key West, Aaron Selka, Ft. Myers and Don Barton, Key West.-134 pts.

Light-Tackle Division