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75thAnniversarySilverSailfshDerby8TheSailfshCertifcateEarlycerti1cateswereblandbutof1ciallooking-WPBFCPresidentZekeCorneliusissuesagoldbutton.Thiscartoonappearedina1938editionoftheNYHerald-Tribuneunderscoringthewidespreadpopularityofthecerti1cateprogram.CartoonistHerbRothprovidedtheartworkforamorecolorfulcerti1cate.Trophysail1shbeingmeasuredatthedock.JohnnyRybovichlCharlieJohnson2ndfromleftothersadmirecerti1cateartworkprovidedbyartistWilliamGoadbyLawrence.TothisdaytherenderingstillgracesWPBFCreleasecerti1cates.Beginningin1935theWestPalmBeachFishingClubstartedaprogramissuingx18OfficialCatchx19certificatestoanglerslandingasailfish.Theideawhichcommemo-ratedasuccessfuldayonthewateroffthePalmBeacheswasahugehitwithchartercaptainsandanglers.Initiallythecertificateswereissuedforsailsthatwerebroughtbacktothedock.Muchceremonywasoftenmadeovermeasuringthelengthofthesailanddocument-ingitsweight.Trophysailsthosemeasuringovereightfeetwerealsoawardedspecialbuttons.TothedelightofthecharterfleettheFish-ingClubx19ssailfishcertificateprogrammadetheanglerscatchallthemorememorableandfueledrepeatbusiness.SoonthesomewhatblandcertificateswereupdatedwithcolorfulartworkdesignedbyfamouscartoonistHerbRoth.AsthepopularityofthecertificateprogramgrewthemediasavvyFishingClubbegandistributingpressreleasesandphotosofthecatchtotheanglerx19shometownnewspaper.Paperswerequicktorunthestoryofalocalresidentx19ssuccessfulbattleinthefamedx18SailfishSectoroftheGulfStreamx19andtheproudanglerhadtheofficialWPBFCcatchcertificatetobackitup.Recipientsoftenframedtheircertificatesandhungthemintheirhomeorofficewherefriendswouldbeabletoseethenotableanglingaccom-plishment.Bytheearly1940x19smorethan5000catchcertificateshadbeendis-tributedbytheFishingClub.Asbig-gameanglinghistorianMikeRivkinnotedinhisWPBFChistorybookx1cBeforelongtheyhadbecomeawidelyrecognizedpartofAmericanculture.ThePalmBeachesnevershinedsobrightly.x1dBy1949certificateswerebeingissuedbytheclubx19snewlyformedaffiliateTheSailfishConservationClubforreleasedsailfish.ThenewreleasecertificatesfeaturedtheartworkofacclaimedartistWilliamGoadbyLawrenceandfurtherpromot-edthecatchreleaseethic.ThroughthedecadestheFishingClubestimatesithasissuednearlytwentythousandofthesecertificates.ThesedaysitisnotuncommonfortheclubtogetacallfromsomeoneinanotherstateusuallyfromtheMidwestornortheastwhosayssomethinglikethisx1cIwascleaningoutmydadx19shouseandfoundasailfishcertificatefromtheWestPalmBeachFishingClub.x1d75thAnniversarySilverSailfshDerby8