Once again Semana Master, traditional spearfishing competition organized by FBDAS, Federacion Balear de Actividades subacuaticas, fulfilled expectations of everybody – spearos, visitors and organization.

(Text and photos Valentina Prokic)

Semana Master 2018 overview

March was 5 times winner of Master. Other winners are Daniel Gospic (Croatia, Cressi, 3 times), Oscar Cervantes (Spain, Beuchat, 3 times, thanks this year victory), Santiago Lopez (Spain, Cressi, 2 times), Pedro Carbonell (Spain, Beuchat), Javier Amores (Spain, Beuchat), Rui Torres (Portugal) and Tasis Peroulis (Greece, XT Diving Pro), all with 1 victory.

Points and rules

A little input about points. Minimum weight for fish from group 1 (sea bream, amberjack, mullet, black scorpionfish…..) is 300 grams and cup is obtained with 5 pieces from one species, except for wrasse where all kind of them count like one species.

For group 2 (scorpion fish, brown meagre, dentex, seabass, gilthead bream and John Dori) minimum weigth is 500 grams, for grouper 2000 grams and cup is 3 pieces per species.

Conger and moray are in group 3, where minimum weight is 2000 grams and cup is three for fish of the group not per species. You can get 1000 point for each fish of this group and bonus for species.

Flying gurdnard and grey triggerfish are in group 4. Minimum is 500 grams and three pieces per group to obtain a cup. Also there is a bonus for species, with 500 points for each.  Bonuses are 300 points for valid fish (except group 3 and 4), 500 points per species. Even if fish are different but get in the same cup like in case of groupers, congers, morays and wrasses, you get bonus for species.

First closed cup is 1000 points, two cups are 3000 points, three cups 6000 points, four 10000 points, five 15000 points…

Master

To the  XVII Master 17 spearos have participated from Spain, Croatia, Italy, Greece, France and Algeria. Due to bad weather judge Juan Vargas planned to change zone, but in the end he didn not do it.

Winner for the third time was Spanish spearo, Oscar Cervantes (Beuchat) with 11 fish and 28,095 points. The biggest fish caught by him was a  grouper, but in addition he also caught two more, three scorpion fish (one was 2375 grams), three John Dory, two wrasses and a conger.

Cervantes is not a man of a lot of words in public and he remained without words when his friends and rivals organized a song in his honor during after party in one of countless bars in Palma.

Interesting thing was that podium for Master was with the same champions as on the last Euro-African Champ in Malj Losinj. Second was Daniel Gospic, he also has three Master titles, and third Italian miracle Giacomo De Mola. Gospic caught two groupers of 7670 grams and 5535 grams, conger, moray, black wrass, white seabream and three scorpionfish for total 25475 points.

“At a certain point with the two groupers and many scorpionfish I thought about winning, but in the last part of the comeptition I have not managed to catch much, so I understood first place was at risk. With one moray more I would be first. Oscar had two cups, me one. That was difference, but I don’t mind. He is my friend and I am happy that he won again. Now we are equal in Master titles,” said Daniel Gospic. Gospic decided to retired after last Euroafrican, but only from national team and national competitions. He will continue competing in Palma and some other international cups.

“Palma and Spain are like my second home. I have a lot of friends here and will keep competing with them. The atmosphere here is like nowhere else”, Gospic explained.

Giacomo De Mola once again on podium. After he started to compete in spearfishing four years ago, in almost every competition he reaches the podium. On Master he caught three congers, three white seabreams, three scorpion fish, three brown meagre and forkbeard and collected 23150 points.

“If I want to be first, I will need to eliminate Oscar and Daniel,” said Giacomo laughing.

XVIII Open Ciutat de Palma

The next day the Italian has prepared his revenge and won the XVIII Open Ciutat de Palma – VII Trofeo Sebastia Carbonell, faught between 34 teams, together with his spanish friend Oscar Lopez Martin and the Greek Kostas Makris as Team Pathos.

Pathos had on weight 16 fishes, biggest of which was a grouper of 5055 grams, for total 29290 points. They had three cups, five species and that made the difference compared to the second team, Blausub, with Guillem Miralles, Manuel Perez and Miguel Angel Galera.

Blausub caught two fishes, gained one cup and one specie less. In the end they totalized 23760 points.

Third place has been won by Pathos Baleares, with Carlos and David Martorell Adrover and Juan Campins. They caught 10 fishes of five different species.

CMAS World Cup

At the same time, but in different parts of Palma Bay, were held two more competitions: III CMAS World Cup for Nations and II Brands World Cup.

Five countries competed in Nations Cup – Spain, Greece, Algeria, Malta and Mexico.

It was the first time that spearos from Malta competed on international events, so it was a big satisfaction for spearos Farrugia, Aquilina, Azzoppardi and Galea, and also for organization. Mexico team had also debut on Palma competitions.

All teams had valid fish and first position was finally of the strong Spain, with Sergio de Julian, Jose Luis Fernandez, Xavi Blanco and captain Paxi Diaz Narvalaz.

They caught 36 fishes in six cups and 9 species, for total points 54510.

Second team was Greece, with Peroulis, Kavvadias, Sarantinos and captain Kambanis, totalizing 47415 points. Greek spearos caught 28 fishes and had five cups and 10 species.

For the first time on the podium finished Algeria, team made of Velhadj, Medjadi, Zaidi and captain Goudjil, with 17565 points. Algerians caught 16 fishes, had one cup and six species.

Malta was fourth and Mexico fifth.

 

World Cup Brands

Six teams participated to the Brands World Cup – Beuchat, Mares France, Dive In Croatia, Omer, Technoblu and XT Diving Pro Team.

Oscar Cervantes again reached first place with his team mates Javier Amores, Cesar Bustelo and captain Pedro Carbonell. They obtained a fantastic result with 67415 points. Beuchat caught 30 fishes, 9 species and 6 cups, with biggest fish that was a grouper of 8050 grams.

Mares team, with Guillaume, Bouzon, Foppolo and captain Deme, caught 26 fish, biggest was grouper of 6225 grams, with five cups and seven species. They collected total 56535 points.

For their first time in Palma de Mallorca, croatian Dive In team with Josko Petrov, Mate Baresic, Igor Nuic and captain Dubravko Pejdo finished on third step of the podium with 49695 points. Croatia spearos managed to catch 33 fishes with six cups and seven species with two days of preparations.

Omer finished fourth, Technoblu fifth and debutants on Semana Master XT Diving Team with two croatian spearos Danijel Pizentic and Jerko Marjan and ex Spanish captain Bartolomeu Salas finished sixth.

Federation of Balears did a great job with the organization as always. Small problems were solved with excellent atmosphere that is one of the main reasons for spearos to come back every year.

One motive more is the chance to spend some time with legend Pep Amengual or go to competiton field with Pedro Carbonell, Alberto March and other world or euroafrican champs as Daniel Gospic and Xavi Blanco.