Michael Jordan took his 80 foot, $8 million convertible Viking sport fishing yacht to Morehead City, North Carolina, to take part in the Big Rock Fishing Tournament. This is the NBA legend’s first time competing in the tournament, which is a non-profit event to raise money for local charities.
The boat is named Catch 23, a nod to his iconic number. Of course, No. 23 did not miss a detail on the boat, which has his Jordan Brand elephant print along the side and a panther on the stern. The graphics match Jordan’s plane.
On Monday, the second day of the tournament, local station WITN reported that the boat brought in a 442.3-pound marlin. Watch HERE.
According to National Geographic, marlins average anywhere from 200 to 400 pounds, but can weigh over 1,985 pounds.
While Jordan is used to being crowned champion, right now a boat called The Predator is in the lead with a 494-pound blue marlin.
Up for grabs is The Fabulous Fisherman prize and $552,500, which will go to the first boat to bring in a big blue that weighs over 500 pounds.
Jordan’s fishing boat has many features including a hydraulic bow thruster, a centralized seawater system, dual freshwater pumps, Veem S-class propellers and manual back-up, according to HaulOverinlet.com. It sleeps 10 guests and has a top speed of 48 mph.
This is not Jordan’s only boat, his other vessel is an $80 million, 230-foot yacht that reportedly costs $840,000 a week to operate.
Jordan does a lot more with his money than purchase impressive boats, however. Just last week he committed to donating $100 million over ten years to help organizations that “ensure racial equality, social justice and greater access to education.”
