South Florida is home to a number of major sport fishing tournaments and NASCAR’s Sailfish Cup Invitational is the second richest regional challenge behind the World Sailfish Championship in Key West. 43 teams are invited to participate in a 3-day competition that includes a celebrity-filled awards banquet and auction benefitting the Homestead Hospital’s race car themed pediatric unit. The hospital provides top level child care regardless of the patient’s ability to pay thanks in part to the generosity of NASCAR members and fans. Hosted by NASCAR President Mike Helton, this sport fishing event combines the worlds of professional angling and car racing so it pits race team owners, drivers and sponsors against one another in gleaming watercraft off South Beach rather than the steaming asphalt of the Homestead Motor Speedway. A welcome relief from the high stress, high dollar world of professional car racing, the Sailfish Cup promotes a friendlier side of the big ticket competition as it allows TV fans to see their favorite drivers competing in an arena that’s definitely out of their element. The Sailfish Cup starts with a captain’s meeting and team kick off party, and the boats launch from the Miami Beach Marina for two full days on the water. Because game fish are released after they are caught, each team’s efforts are filmed and the resulting memory cards are collected by the tournament committee boat at day’s end to verify results. A gala awards banquet follows the final day at sea with a live and silent auction benefiting the Homestad Hospital. Local South Florida NASCAR fans interested in volunteering for the auction can sign up on the official website. Sailfish Cup Invitational, 2120 Range Road, Clearwater.