2021 Fastnet Race winning skipper Thomas Kneen will be a guest speaker at this Saturday's ICRA National Conference and AGM.
As Afloat readers will recall, Kneen almost completed an offshore double but then just missed out on the Middle Sea Race in controversial circumstances. And last week, the JPK11.80 skipper was the class one winner of the Caribbean 600 race in Antigua.
As we come out of Covid restrictions, ICRA will hold its annual Conference and AGM as a hybrid event, welcoming those that can and wish to attend a face to face meeting to the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire, while also retaining the option for those unable to attend in-person to register and log in to the conference online.
Thomas Kneen
Kneen and Jason Smithwick (Director of Rating, RORC) are keynote speakers at the 2022 Conference.
In order to manage both an online and offline audience, the conference will remain as a slightly shorter event than pre-Covid. It will take place on Saturday 5th March from 10:00 am to 13:00pm, with lunch and further discussion on offer for those in attendance at the National Yacht Club from 13:00pm onwards.
As well as the main speakers, the event will include the sailors' forum (where there is a chance to discuss and debate the big issues in cruiser-racing), updates from the major events planned in the year, an update of ICRA activities, and that will be followed by the AGM.
The 2022 Annual Conference will feature:
- Thomas Kneen (Owner Sunrise) - we are delighted to have Thomas join ICRA to talk about his very successful and somewhat controversial 2021 sailing campaign in his yacht Sunrise, which won the Fastnet and just missed out on the Middle Sea race in controversial circumstances.
- Jason Smithwick (Director of Rating, RORC) – a presentation from the Director of Rating at RORC, where he will give ICRA an update on IRC ratings, and answer all your questions!
- Major Event Reps – giving you the low down on what to expect at the major cruiser racing coastal and offshore sailing events planned for 2022.
- Sailors Forum – giving members a chance to ask questions of the event organisers to help them plan for the season ahead.
- ICRA Updates – on the Under 25 Programme, the Central results database, ECHO rules, plans for the ICRA Nationals in 2022.
- The full agenda for the conference is available on the conference webpage here.
The conference will start in the morning at 10:00 am, followed by the AGM and will close at 13:00 pm.
