Las Marías Blue Cup is looking toward another edition in the Islas Marías archipelago, but its founder says rebuilding confidence requires addressing obligations left over from the first tournament.

In written answers supplied to Cabo Sportfishing Magazine on November 3, 2026, Diego Castañeda Romero, who identifies himself as the tournament’s founder and general director, acknowledged outstanding 2025 prize payments, fuel-supply difficulties and services that fell short of participants’ expectations. He also described proposed financial and operational changes for a tournament being promoted for December 2026.

Reporting disclosure: Arturo Chacón, founder and owner of Cabo Sportfishing Magazine and the author of this article, participated in the invitation-only 2025 tournament with his team. His team did not win a prize. This article reports Castañeda’s account; it is not an endorsement of the tournament.

The prize obligations he acknowledges

Castañeda said the five overall places went to Stella June, Daddy Rabbit, Quiteña, Aussie Rules and Sea Hunter, in that order. The announced general prizes, according to his answers, were US$120,000, US$70,000, US$40,000, US$10,000 and US$5,000, respectively.

He said he had paid the fourth- and fifth-place general prizes using personal funds and was working to obtain the money for third place before continuing with second and first.

These are the organizer’s statements as supplied on November 3, not independently confirmed payment records or an updated balance as of publication. The magazine has not independently verified payments with the winning teams or reviewed a complete reconciliation of prize obligations.

Castañeda distinguished the advertised purse from prizes generated under tournament rules and amounts subsequently recognized to individual winners. The announced dollar figures above should therefore not be read as certified outstanding balances; optional jackpots and special categories are not included in this account.

“My personal commitment does not mean that I currently have all the resources needed to settle the debts in full,” Castañeda said.

He acknowledged that his repayment plan was not fully financed. He declined to announce new payment dates without secured funding, saying he preferred to report completed payments with supporting receipts.

Fuel and services at a remote island event

Castañeda said the first edition demonstrated the destination’s sporting and tourism potential, but acknowledged operational shortcomings. Reliable fuel supply was among the problems he identified, alongside coordination and service difficulties.

“I do not intend to minimize any of these situations,” he said.

For the next edition, he described a project to provide diesel and gasoline dispensing equipment at the dock, scheduled supply and better tracking of deliveries. He also said the organizers were working to improve lodging, maritime transport, food services and coordination with operators.

Those descriptions are plans, not confirmation that equipment has been installed, contracts fulfilled or services secured. Castañeda said contracts, operational responsibilities and contingency arrangements needed verification before the tournament.

What he proposes for the next edition

Castañeda called for identifiable prize funds, accounting reconciliation, clear rules for authorizing payments and a reviewer independent of day-to-day operations. He said obligations from 2025 should be addressed without compromising the prizes or services of the new edition, but did not demonstrate to the magazine that those safeguards were already in place.

“The confidence of participants cannot depend only on my word. It has to be backed by verifiable procedures,” he said.

In the answers supplied November 3, he reported 28 registered boats. That is his dated registration figure, not a current or independently verified entry list. He said the prize structure would depend on participation, with optional jackpots determined by entries in each category. No fixed, independently verified guaranteed purse is established by this interview.

He also said teams should receive an official map of authorized fishing areas and the applicable navigation and fishing rules. The magazine has not verified final 2026 permits, authorized boundaries or the exact event dates. Planning paperwork supplied for 2025 does not establish authorization for a new edition.

What anglers can verify before committing

For teams considering the next tournament, the practical questions concern written rules and evidence rather than promises:

  • What portion of the prize money is guaranteed, what depends on entries, and who can verify the funds?
  • What are the payment deadlines, eligibility conditions and cancellation or refund terms?
  • Which fuel, lodging and transport services are confirmed, and who is responsible for delivering them?
  • What permits, fishing-area maps and emergency arrangements apply to this edition?

Castañeda said he understood anglers’ reservations and wanted participants to evaluate the changes with complete information.

“The prizes were won legitimately, the obligations must be met, and trust can only be recovered with results,” he said.

Source note: This report is based on Castañeda’s written Spanish-language answers supplied November 3, 2026, with quotations translated by the magazine. Payment status and proposed safeguards remain attributed to him. The magazine has not independently established subsequent payments or completion of the proposed changes.