Leigh-Smith Yachts has announced its major sponsorship of the 60th Anniversary Cairns Black Marlin Tournament 2026.
Managing Director Ryan Leigh-Smith will return to the Reef with a crew whose shared passion for Australian game fishing and the marine industry spans generations.
Andy Smith, Ryan Leigh-Smith & Simon Carosi aboard Weapon, the 1999 Norman Wright Custom 63 Sports Fisher
For Leigh-Smith Yachts, this milestone tournament is more than just a week of competition. It’s an opportunity to support a community they’ve been a part of for over six decades while continuing Ryan’s longstanding connection to one of Australia’s most celebrated game fishing events.
This year marks Ryan Leigh-Smith’s third major anniversary tournament in Cairns. He competed in the 40th and 50th and is now returning for the 60th. His game fishing experience also includes the iconic Lexus and Lizard Island heavy-tackle tournaments and crewing aboard a vessel for a world-record lure catch.
Leigh-Smith’s passion for the water has been matched by a career in the marine industry. He spent 17 years as Shipyard Manager and co-founded Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard (GCCM). Leigh-Smith then returned to the family business as Managing Director of Leigh-Smith Yachts.
Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard, October 2004
For the 60th Anniversary Tournament, Leigh-Smith will be joined by longtime friends and industry peers Peter Lovett, Richard Munro and Trenton Gay aboard the iconic Dickward 49ft custom-built gamefisher Tradition. Captain Tim Richardson will command the vessel.
Tradition, the iconic Dickward 49ft custom-built gamefisher.
Choosing Tradition wasn’t a coincidence. Leigh-Smith and Richardson share a longstanding friendship and have worked closely over the years. As one of the Great Barrier Reef’s most respected heavy-tackle captains, Richardson and the Tradition Charters crew will lead the team back to the famed waters of the Reef in pursuit of the elusive giant black marlin.
The anglers aboard also bring deep connections to the sport. Peter Lovett, a true waterman and industry legend, is the owner of the iconic custom 40ft Pleysier Toompani. This boat is where Leigh-Smith caught his first marlin at the age of 14, with Captain Dean Beech at the helm and Luke Fallon on deck. Lovett worked as a mothership captain on the Great Barrier Reef in the late 1990s before transitioning to a career as a luxury yacht captain, yacht manager and broker. His first experience of heavy-tackle fishing aboard Lucky Strike with Ross McCubbin was extraordinary, with two 950-pound black marlin caught within an hour.
Richard Munro’s connection to game fishing began even earlier. At just 11, he caught a sailfish that narrowly missed the world record at the time. Fishing with his father Lorrie Munro, President of the Moreton Bay Game Fish Club and former owner of Tanderra and Kestelle, nurtured a lifelong passion for the sport and tournaments along Australia’s coast. Munro has also regularly fished and competed alongside longtime friend Trenton Gay.
Trenton Gay’s game fishing journey was almost preordained. His father Patrick Gay owned the legendary 1975 Woodnutt heavy-tackle game boat Sea Venture and the highly successful Cairns mothership Emerald Lady, which Leigh-Smith Yachts recently sold for the fifth time.
1975 Woodnutt heavy-tackle game boat, Sea Venture
Patrick also became a life member and Hall of Fame inductee of the CGFA, an IGFA Hall of Fame inductee and President of GFAA. His son Trenton Gay continues this legacy, dedicating his life to the waterfront. He’s developed and operated marinas and waterfront estates, supported industry-leading foundations and pursued the ultimate challenge of catching the fabled grander along Australia’s east coast.
Together aboard Tradition, the Leigh-Smith Yachts Team brings decades of seasoned experience in game fishing, professional yachting, yacht brokerage, marina development and shipyard operations. This experience is underpinned by longstanding friendships and a shared passion for the ocean.
“This tournament represents the pinnacle of Australian game fishing, and I’m incredibly excited and proud to share the deck of Tradition with Trent, Peter, Richard and Captain Tim,” said Ryan Leigh-Smith, Managing Director of Leigh-Smith Yachts.
“Having competed in the 40th and 50th anniversary tournaments, coming back for the 60th is particularly special. There are friendships not just amongst this crew, but across many of the industry greats heading to Cairns, that go back many years. For the four of us to be together, wearing our Leigh-Smith Yachts shirts aboard Tradition and chasing giant black marlin on the Reef for such a significant anniversary, is something I’m extremely proud of and something we’re all looking forward to.”
Supporting the Industry
Leigh-Smith Yachts’ major sponsorship of the 60th Anniversary Cairns Black Marlin Tournament 2026 reflects a longstanding commitment to being an active participant in Australia’s marine and boating community.
Founded in 1964, Leigh-Smith Yachts has spent more than six decades immersed in the Australian marine industry, with many of its enduring relationships formed on the water, at marinas, shipyards, boat shows, tournaments and throughout the wider boating community.
Events like the Cairns Black Marlin Tournament foster a sense of community, connecting anglers, captains, crews, boat owners and marine businesses across generations. This shared passion for the sport and Australia’s beautiful oceans brings them together.
Supporting the tournament in its milestone 60th year is an opportunity for Leigh-Smith Yachts to give back to that community and support the continuation of an event with a significant place in Australian game fishing history.
The company will have a significant presence throughout the event, supporting competitors and the conservation initiatives associated with this historic fishery.
The 60th Anniversary Cairns Black Marlin Tournament 2026 will bring together leading crews, vessels and anglers from Australia and around the world on the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef. The tournament coincides with the annual aggregation of giant black marlin that has established Far North Queensland as one of the world’s most celebrated game fishing destinations.
For more information, visit leigh-smith.com
