Bluefin Blowout Will End Current Format in Gloucester as Organizers Cite Strain

Organizers of the Bluefin Blowout told the Gloucester community in mid‑February that this year will be the tournament’s final running in its current format, citing rapid growth and operational strain that “has now become too large for my marketing team to manage,” organizer Cidalia Schwartz wrote. The decision ends a run that organizers and sponsors say turned a modest tuna contest into a major regional festival and fundraiser.

The Blowout began in 2012, founded by Drew Hale and Rob Bouley, and started with roughly 30 boats and prize money “around $6,000,” Schwartz recalled. The Lyon‑Waugh Auto Group became the major sponsor early on, a partnership Schwartz says was agreed to “over drinks at Christmas with Drew”, and Lyon‑Waugh took over event coordination in 2017.

Lyon‑Waugh partner Warren Waugh, who has a personal connection to the cause after the death of his wife from Alzheimer’s disease, framed the event’s mission beyond cash prizes: “Sure it’s about prize money, but it’s also about awareness and giving back. What we have accomplished as the Bluefin Blowout team (and that is all of us) is truly remarkable.” Organizers note the Blowout has raised and donated more than $2.6 million to the Alzheimer’s Association over its run.

Competitive numbers underscored the Blowout’s rise. In the cited tournament year competitors landed 22 bluefin, and the largest fish weighed 719 pounds, a record brought in by the Molly Jane out of South Portland, Maine, captained by Kurt Christensen with his son Erik and chartered by Matthew Turner of Boise, Idaho, and his two sons. That two‑day tournament paid out about $160,000 in cash and prizes, and winners returned $10,000 of their haul to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Fundraising growth tracked with competitive growth: organizers report $155,000 raised in 2018, $366,000 in 2019, and “last year”, after a two‑year pandemic hiatus, more than $500,000. The tournament’s format typically began with a kick‑off dinner on July 25, boats pulling out from the docks at 10 p.m. to get in position for a midnight start, two days of fishing, and weigh‑ins at the Cape Ann Marina’s Resort where spectators lined the railings and after‑parties filled the docks.

Schwartz’s blog‑post‑style announcement focused on gratitude and community: “To our volunteers and to the Gloucester community, thank you for standing beside us… You made it a community that I looked forward to seeing year after year.” She framed the decision as a close to a chapter while insisting the impact endures: “While this chapter is coming to a close, what we built together will always remain. The memories, the friendships, the impact, these will stay with me forever.”

The announcement leaves questions about the Blowout’s future form unanswered; organizers used the phrasing “final running of the event in its current format” but did not provide specifics about a handoff or a new production model, nor did the statement include direct remarks from founders Drew Hale or Rob Bouley. Organizers continue to accept donations via the Bluefin Blowout website as the event concludes this season.

Schwartz closed her message with pride for what the event became: “Together, we built the #1 Bluefin tuna tournament in the world, and even writing that fills me with pride.”