Close to 50 members attended the 2026 AGM and conference of the Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) held over the weekend in Dún Laoghaire. The event brought together sailors and administrators from across the country to discuss key developments influencing cruiser racing in Ireland and internationally.
A central outcome of the conference was the election of John Leech of Galway and Lough Derg as incoming Commodore of the Association. His appointment follows a year of significant engagement across the cruiser racing community, reflecting the Association’s focus on adapting to an evolving competitive and organisational landscape.
The conference programme featured a series of presentations addressing a wide range of topics impacting cruiser racing, from governance and participation trends to campaign management and performance pathways. A particular highlight was the contribution from three keynote speakers, each sharing insights from their recent sailing campaigns.
Michael Boyd, Chef d’Équipe for the 2025 Irish Admirals Cup team, spoke about the strategic planning, preparation and performance benchmarks required to compete successfully at the highest level. Cillian Dickson and Louis Molloy presented the journey of the J24 Headcase, detailing its progression to multiple European titles and a World Championship victory in September 2025- the first achieved by an Irish team in the class.
The final keynote address was delivered by Pamela Lee, who traced her pathway from dinghy sailing on Lough Derg to international offshore racing. She also discussed campaign funding, professional team structures and her ambition to compete in the 2026 Route du Rhum, alongside plans to attract international Class40 entries to this summer’s Round Ireland Race.
The conference concluded with the presentation of annual awards, with the ECHO Boat of the Year awarded to Pat Tanner and the crew of Bateuler ’88, and the IRC Boat of the Year presented to James Dwyer for Swuzzlebubble.
Photographed is Pamela Lee presenting on her #EmpowHer offshore racing project