L'Derry To Welcome The Clipper Race Crew

The Clipper Race crew, including nine non professional sailors from Ireland and Northern Ireland, are currently sailing towards L'Derry in the final ocean crossing of the 40,000 nautical mile (nm) Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

The crew are part of the eleven teams, formed of people from all walks of life, taking on the big conditions of the North Atlantic, facing strong winds, big surf and fast downwind sailing. The 3000nm race will see the fleet start to arrive in L'Derry from 13 July onwards, in time for the city's Foyle Maritime Festival.

The Clipper 2019-20 Race started in London in September 2019 but faced a two-year pause at its halfway point due to the global pandemic. The sailing event restarted in March 2021 and after sailing all the way from the Philippines is now on the penultimate race of its circuit, departing New York earlier this month bound for L'Derry with this stage dubbed The LegenDerry Finale.

This year marks the tenth year of partnership between the Clipper Race and the city of L'Derry, and the fifth time that the fleet will take the centrepiece of the Foyle Maritime Festival, bringing crew, supporters and visitors to the city for the stopover.

The North Atlantic is famed for throwing unpredictable and difficult weather with changeable conditions, big waves and high winds for the crew, who are spending just over two weeks at sea.

The eleven multi-nation Clipper Race Crews, led by professional Skippers and First Mates, are made up of men and women from diverse walks of life, ranging from 18-70+ years old. Civil Servants from Oxfordshire race shoulder to shoulder with Gap Year students from the Netherlands, Farmers from Devon, and Teachers from New Zealand. Some 40% of Race Crew had no previous sailing experience before signing up for the four weeks of intensive and rigorous training.

One crew member is Gerard Doherty, a retired Company Director, age 68, from L'Derry, who is sailing over 15,000nm on Legs 6, 7 and 8 on board the Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam team entry. Just before departing New York to sail home, he said: "Doing the Clipper Race has made me appreciate everything I have in my life. Being at sea has been the longest I have been away from my family and two daughters.

"Derry is such a good stopover because each time, the people of Derry reach out and welcome the Clipper Race with an open heart, making everyone in the race feel welcome in the city. Derry makes an amazing effort to accommodate the crew, and when we arrive in Derry the Mayor will be there, bands will be there and thousands of people will be there to welcome us. I will be immensely proud to sail up the Foyle, it will be an outstanding day for me."

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy, said: "There is a real sense of anticipation building ahead of the Clipper Race arrivals this week. The first sign of the yachts as they make their way up the Foyle generates a huge buzz and the crew can expect a tremendous reception when they step on to the Quayside. The fact that so many of the fleet are arriving in such a short space of time will really add to the excitement and I know we're all looking forward in particular to welcoming our own crew member Gerard Doherty home after his epic adventure. I hope to see lots of people turning out to give Gerard and all the crew a warm Derry welcome."