#Surfing - Indoor surfing could be on the cards for Derry residents in proposals for new sports facilities the Foyleside city, as the Londonderry Sentinel reports.

A wave-machine-type "surf basin" is one of a number of options for the £20-30 million investment for development of the Templemore and Riversdale sports centres, according to Noel Munnis, head of sports and leisure at Derry City and Strabane District Council.

It would certainly be a popular feature in surfing mad Northern Ireland, what with the big waves of Portrush and Bundoran available within less than a two-hour drive.

#visitderry – Sail Ireland's North West and discover Donegal's rugged coastline and the River Foyle to the walled city of Derry~Londonderry, named by 'Lonely Planet' as one of the Top 10 Cities to visit in the World!

Follow the seaways from Scotland, England and Wales and, with good planning, the tidal streams will make light work of the passage across the North Channel and westward to the Foyle. Lying in wait is the fantastic coastline of Inishowen, with vistas of towering stacks, cliffs, beaches and a repertoire of heritage!

Sailing along the top of Ireland, take advantage of the sheltered delights of Lough Foyle and, at its mouth, the quaint village of Greencastle, the second-biggest fishing port in Donegal.

The harbour accommodates a wide range of yachts and a new permanent pontoon is planned for 2015. Trawlers from here ply as far as Rockall and the local mussel and oyster harvests supply restaurants across the region. Greencastle itself is home to a superb seafood eatery and its traditional Irish pubs are perfect places to relax and enjoy the 'craic' in this friendly village.

Visitors can also avail of a stunning shoreside walk and check out the Inishowen Maritime Museum – housed in the Coastguard buildings overlooking the harbour. Lough Foyle is shallow but a well-marked shipping channel runs all the way from Greencastle to Derry~ Londonderry's Foyle Marina, where two pontoons can berth up to 120 boats.

Named by acclaimed travel publication 'Lonely Planet' as a Top 10 City in the World, Derry is renowned as one of the finest walled cities in Europe and the defences celebrated their 400th anniversary in 2013 during Derry's iconic year as the inaugural UK City of Culture.

Take a trip back in time strolling along the famous 17th Century walls, and view one of the largest collections of original cannon in Europe, dating back to the days of the Siege. Or why not call in to one of the many museums and immerse yourself in the city's quirky history?

A hard day shopping and sightseeing is guaranteed to work up an appetite and whether you're looking for contemporary cuisine, a fine dining experience or somewhere to re-fuel the kids, you'll find it all here.

So where to next? Derry is home to a thriving music scene and the city is packed with lively bars, stylish clubs and traditional pubs.

Join the locals in an Irish trad 'seisiun' or catch a gig at one of Derry's cutting-edge music venues. Or why not check out one of the city's many events? Visit Derry recommends the City of Derry Jazz from April 30 to May 1 (cityofderryjazzfestival.com), and Flavours of the Foyle Seafood Festival (25-26 July).

Just minutes from Derry lies the stunning landscape of Donegal. Take a drive around its rugged coastline and marvel at endless beaches, medieval castles and natural wildlife. Challenge yourself and try your hand at angling, cycling, hiking or surfing. And let's not forget some of Ireland's finest links courses!

To the east of the city you will find the stunning natural hinterland of the North Antrim Coast. Explore the Giant's Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and take an 'Indiana Jones' style walk across the famous Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge, which is suspended over 100ft between two rugged cliffs – an experience that is definitely not for the faint hearted!

To finish your day, call into Bushmills Distillery for a drop of Northern Ireland's most famous exports, Bushmills whiskey.

On the doorstep of such stunning scenery, Derry~ Londonderry has to be one of Europe's greatest city experiences. With berthing fees from just £15 per night there really is no better time to visit. Make your next sail the North West of Ireland – it'll be 'LegenDerry'!

'The North West is among the most beautiful cruising grounds in the world'

During the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, the Derry~Londonderry stop–over was the best; not just from my slightly biased point of view, but also one shared by most of the crew on the other boats. The reception after the scenic trip up the Foyle into such a vibrant and friendly city is what made it so special.  The facilities in the new Foyle Marina and also nearby in Greencastle, Co Donegal are fantastic. It's great to see the development going into the port as it and the surrounding areas in the North West of Ireland are among the most beautiful cruising grounds in the world... especially when the sun shines!

Derry~Londonderry skipper Sean McCarter

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY!

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and Maritime Festival returns to the city – in Summer 2016!

Now firmly established as the No 1 stop–over destination on the Clipper Race circuit, Derry will host a week-long Maritime Festival to celebrate the arrival of this iconic race. Foyle Marina will transform into a summer promenade, complete with race village, marine marquees, award winning continental market and host of sea-faring activities on and off shore. At the centre of the festival will be the welcome of the 12-strong fleet of Clipper yachts, including Derry~Londonderry-Doire yacht. In 2014, the city welcomed more than 120 visiting yachts during the festival – make sure you are part of the celebrations next year!

Book your berth now!

Contact FOYLE Port
+44 (0) 28 7186 0555

www.foyleport.com 

www.visitderry.com

#legenderry – The Clipper Round the World Race course was shortened with a time limit placed on the race of 1200 UTC Sunday 22 June after unusual weather patterns caused by a persistent high pressure system centred just west of Ireland threatened to hamper the progress of the fleet.

The Derry~Londonderry~Doire yacht was the closest boat to the original finish line off Greencastle County Donegal at 155.1 miles, with Team Garmin and Old Pulteney in second and third places at 163.9 and 165.8 miles to the line respectively.

It was a very closely fought battle for podium positions with PSP Logistics, Jamaica Get All Right and GREAT Britain all jostling with Old Pulteney for the final podium place. All the fleet's finishing positions for Race 14 are published below.

Local 'hero' Skipper of Derry~Londonderry~Doire is Sean McCarter who was born in Donegal and brought up in Derry-Londonderry who put on a spectacular performance leading the fleet for the majority of the race. After the race office verified the fleet's results, the normally reserved skipper couldn't hide his pride after breaking the notorious homecoming race curse to come in first place into his homeport. The last time that happened was six years ago into New York in June 2008.

"We inherited the title of LengenDerry crew, but now it's official. I couldn't be any prouder of how this team has performed. We have always said this is our race and there was no way we were going to let anyone else stand on that podium in Derry-Londonderry ahead of us.

"To everyone back in Derry-Londonderry - we've waited a long time for this moment and we can't wait to celebrate it with you. See you tomorrow."

The happy ending was almost scuppered by Team Garmin after it narrowly took the lead, emerging from Stealth Mode in first place in the early hours of Saturday morning. However, Derry~Londonderry~Doire wasn't ready to give up and repositioned itself further north of the fleet where it regained its lead and maintained it through to the finish.

On board the Northern Irish entry is crew member Breidge Boyle, from Derry-Londonderry is looking forward to being reunited with her family on arrival:

"I am so proud to be a part of this fabulous team and this fabulous boat. I am so proud of our skipper, who throughout the hard times stood firm and led us to victory. This team is truly Legenderry and so is Sean.

"I can't wait to arrive in the city now – mum, I can't wait to see you."

The 12 points now places Derry~Londonderry~Doire just five points behind OneDLL on the overall leaderboard. The Northern Irish team is now in serious contention for an overall podium place in the Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race, as just two races remain in the 16 race series.

Derry~Londonderry~Doire is estimated to arrive at Foyle Marina in Derry-Londonderry around 1100 BST Monday 23 June where thousands of local supporters and Clipper Race fans are expected to line the quayside, eager to get a glimpse of the winning local team.

The rest of the fleet is due to arrive at Foyle Marina throughout the day, with the last boats expected by Tuesday morning.

For those eager to get a taste of life at sea on board a Clipper 70 racing yacht, open boat tours will be running from Wednesday to Friday 25-27 June at 2-7 pm.

The 12-strong fleet will be berthed at Foyle Marina until Sunday 29 June when they will set off from Derry-Londonderry to start the next race from Greencastle. The RAF Red Arrows will provide a spectacular aerial display along the coastline ahead of the Race 15 start to Den Helder in the Netherlands for the OneDLL Cup.

#clipperrace – Sailing into Derry will be a very special moment for two Clipper Race crew on board the Swiss-sponsored entry, Switzerland as they return home for the first time in decades.

Richard Greer, 45, originally from Derry-Londonderry, now lives in France, and is looking forward to sailing up the River Foyle and experiencing the city's famous hospitality. The completion of the transatlantic voyage from New York into Northern Ireland will mark the first time he has returned home in over three decades.

"I haven't been in Derry-Londonderry since I was a kid back in the 80s!"confessed Richard.
"A lot has changed since then and being a small part of something positive for Derry-Londonderry is very rewarding. I'll feel very proud of my origins, proud to share them with my crew mates. To sail into a 'new' Derry-Londonderry will be very emotional!" he added.
Richard - who grew up in Knockloughrim, County Derry - left the city to study engineering in Salford before then backpacking around the world. He then took up a position within Occupational Safety with Kimberley Clark, producers of Huggies and Kleenex.

After 21 years with the same company and in search of a new adventure - and with zero sailing experience - Richard decided it was time to push himself out of his comfort zone and sign up to compete in Leg 4 and 8 of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race on board team Switzerland.

"I had literally no sailing experience whatsoever. It all stemmed from a dream I had about a poster I saw on the London Underground and the rest is history.

"I'm often asked what the biggest highlight so far has been, and I'd have to say competing in the famous Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race (part of Leg 4) and winning our first race from Hobart to Brisbane. However, I'm not sure if anything could beat sailing into Derry-Londonderry as part of this huge adventure."
Keeping Richard company during the 2,850 mile Atlantic crossing is fellow crew member Samantha Tosh, 42, also originally from Limavady, County Derry. She currently lives in Brighton where she works as an engineer. She joined Switzerland in New York for Leg 8.
"I chose Leg 8 as it is the homecoming leg into Derry-Londonderry. Not many of my friends of family have had much exposure to sailing and it is something quite different and exciting for them to get involved in too.
"I think the biggest challenge for me will be the fact that it is the last leg and the round the world crew are already quite established and to see how the new crew fit in to that, it's all about teamwork.
"I'm really excited about returning to my home city and sailing up the River Foyle and am eager to see everyone there celebrating the race with me."
The Clipper Race fleet is expected to arrive in Derry-Londonderry from 21 June. The LegenDerry Maritime Festival - which features The Beach Boys and the Red Arrows - runs until the fleet's departure on 29 June.

#Clipper - Derry-Londonderry's newly elected Mayor Brenda Stevenson will travel to New York this week to join members of the Derry-Londonderry-Doire crew participating in the 2013-14 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

The crew will arrive at the stopover port in the Big Apple ahead of their departure for the next leg of the race that will bring them to their home port in time for the LegenDerry Maritime Festival celebrations.

Mayor Stevenson will be accompanied on the trip by Derry City Council’s town clerk and chief executive Sharon O’Connor along with Des Gartland, Invest Northern Ireland’s north west regional manager, to engage with businesses and key members from the Northern Ireland diaspora in New York.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Mayor Stevenson said: “I am really looking forward to meeting the skipper Sean McCarter and his crew and helping to promote details of our fantastic maritime festival celebrations that are planned to coincide with the arrival of the Clipper Race fleet when they arrive in the city at the end of the month.

“We are hugely excited about being in New York and getting an opportunity to showcase our city, network with local business people and encourage them to be part of our celebrations and our new legacy story since our City of Culture status success."

The Derry-Londonderry-Doire crew are expecting a huge welcome on arrival in New York, with many family and friends travelling to the stopover location as well as large numbers of Irish diaspora who are following the team’s success in the race and are keen to show their support.

The mayor added: “It’s a huge honour for me as the newly elected mayor to travel to New York to represent our city and to meet and greet the crew as well as meet with business people to forge business and trade links that will help us attract investment and new business opportunities to the city and wider north west region.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to encourage New Yorkers to come to Derry for our LegenDerry Maritime Festival celebrations and to update them on the city’s progress and legacy promises we are currently delivering on.”

During the trip, the delegation will attend a number of engagements including a UK Trade & Investment event to celebrate the Clipper Round the World Race stopover; an event organised by Clipper Ventures at the NASDAQ stock exchange; the Origin Theatre event honouring the Irish Consul General; and a corporate lunch event organised and funded by the NI Bureau, Invest NI and Tourism Ireland.

Mayor Stevenson will also visit the New York Irish Centre to launch the visiting exhibition from the Foyle Civic Trust, ‘Derry Londonderry Goes Global’. held last year as part of the Foyleside city's City of Culture programme. The visit will also include an opportunity to meet members of the New York Derry Society.

Gartland added: “This event offers a tremendous opportunity to promote Derry-Londonderry and the north west region both to potential investors and as a tourism location.

"Invest NI is working closely with Derry City Council to maximise the opportunities that the Clipper Round The World Race presents.”

Details of the LegenDerry Maritime Festival, which will take place in Derry~Londonderry on 21-29 June to welcome the Clipper Race fleet to the city, are available at www.legenderrymaritimefestival.com.

#clipperrace – The world-famous Red Arrows will take to the skies over the North West Coast of Ireland at the end of June with their display of daredevil aerial manoeuvres, to bring a spectacular close to the 2014 LegenDerry Maritime Festival.

Brought to the North West by a partnership between Donegal County Council, Limavady Borough Council and Derry City Council, the RAF Red Arrows will perform their thrilling flying display as the stunning send-off to the Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race on Sunday 29th June 2014.

The distinctive red jets, which are this year celebrating their 50th display season, will execute their trademark formations, close-passes and dynamic loops and rolls at the mouth of the River Foyle between Greencastle in Co. Donegal and Magilligan/Binevenagh in Co. Londonderry.

Thousands of people are expected to descend upon the North West Coast to capture a clear vantage point of the Red Arrows' stunning performance and celebrate the official Race Start of the Clipper 2013-14 Race at Greencastle, Co. Donegal.

Mayor of Donegal County Council, Councillor Ian McGarvey said: "Along with my fellow Mayors from Derry City Council and Limavady Borough Council I am delighted to confirm the staging of this spectacular Red Arrows event. I am sure this will attract visitors from across the region and beyond to the Lough Foyle area. Their exciting air display will be an excellent way to see off the Clipper Race as the fleet prepares to sets sail off the coast of Greencastle. I hope that everyone who comes to Donegal has a safe and enjoyable time."

Mayor of Limavady, Councillor Gerry Mullan said: "I am delighted to welcome back the spectacular Clipper Race event and am looking forward to seeing the boats sailing into Lough Foyle past Magilligan Point. I wish all the crews a warm welcome to the area and hope they get the chance to explore all it has to offer when they come ashore."

Mayor of Derry City Council, Councillor Martin Reilly said: "It is a major coup to have the Red Arrows perform and their display will provide a suitably spectacular final flourish to our week-long LegenDerry Maritime Festival. We are delighted to have been able to facilitate this in partnership with our friends in Limavady and Donegal, who are bringing the world-famous Red Arrows here.

"Our stunning North West coastline will provide the perfect backdrop for the official Race Start of the Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race. We are thrilled that thousands of local people will be able to share the celebrations and the spectacle on land, on the sea and now, also in the sky."

Derry~Londonderry is the penultimate stopover for the Clipper 2013-14 Race, the world's longest ocean race. After a gruelling journey of almost 40,000 miles, 11 month circumnavigation of the globe the City will welcome the 12-strong fleet of Clipper Race yachts back to the city, including its very own Derry~Londonderry-Doire yacht, with a weeklong LegenDerry Maritime Festival from 21st - 29th June 2014.

The LegenDerry Maritime Festival will transform the River Foyle's quayside into a summer promenade, with race village, award winning continental market, seafood festival, music extravaganza and a host of sea-faring activities on and off shore for families, sailors and land-lubbers alike.

#clipper – The Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, China provided the perfect backdrop today as the Northern Irish entry competing in the Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race started Race 10 from Qingdao, China to San Francisco, USA .

Thousands of well-wishers lined the quayside eager get one last glimpse of the 12-strong international fleet during an epic departure ceremony which attracted a large media presence and was broadcast live on TV. The ceremony featured hundreds of performers in a carefully choreographed programme which featured VIP guests including local officials and the British Ambassador to China.

After a tense start Derry~Londonderry~Doire was the first boat to cross the start line of the 5,800 mile race which started at 1345 local time (0545 UTC) as Mission Performance and Qingdao were in hot pursuit.

"We are in pretty good shape; we all know this is a long leg but the crew are all looking forward to arriving in San Francisco, we would have broken the back of the race, we're on our way home." Added skipper of Derry~Londondery~Doire Sean McCarter before his team set off.

The first key milestone in Race 10 will be off the Southern tip of Japan when tactics start come in to play again as skippers are faced with the age-old dilemma; take the shortest route and risk light airs or head north for a colder but stronger ride east.

"This will be a tough leg in lots of ways. I think the length of this race is going to be a challenge. We should have a fairly easy start with light winds, so hopefully we will get into a rhythm then. Once we head off the south of Japan it's going to get a lot heavier and more difficult, which will be the first big hurdle."

"The teams are really looking forward to this race. Once you get on the move the better, all the nerves disappear as soon as you start sailing."Added Sean.

Sea Cadet Volunteer, Keith Bisson from Jersey joined the Northern Irish team in Qingdao after winning a national competition to compete in Leg 6 of the Clipper Race. However, when it came to deciding which boat he would sail on, there was only one option:

"As my wife is from Derry-Londonderry I knew immediately that I had to be on the Northern Irish entry, Derry~Londonderry~Doire. We have a huge family back there; so much so that we have already booked our holiday to coincide with the Derry-Londonderry stopover.

"This race is going to be a fantastic experience, it all feels very surreal at the moment but I can't wait to get started. I know this will be a test of endurance, but I'm well prepared and ready for the challenge. Just knowing that the Golden Gate Bridge will be waiting for us at the end, makes it all worthwhile."

The twelve-strong fleet is expected in San Francisco between 8-12 April where they will be berthed until the start of Race 11 to the Panama Canal on 19 April.

#rshyr – Ireland's boat in the Clipper Round-the-World Challenge, the 70ft Castro-designed Derry-Londonderry-Doire, is on target to win her 12-boat class in the Sydney-Hobart Race today writes WM Nixon.

Skippered by Sean McCarter of Lough Swilly Yacht Club, and with Garda Siochana member Conor O'Byrne as a Watch Leader, DLDD had been consolidating a lead which she established around the mid-point of the 628 mile offshore classic, and is now (10.30 hrs our time) racing through the Tasmanian night over the final 35 miles to the finish.

But McCarter and his crew are under no illusions that this last inshore leg across Storm Bay and up the Derwent Estuary to the finish off the Hobart waterfront can see hard-earned leads wiped out in a couple of hours. Even with a margin of 12 miles over the next boat, the going is tricky, for they know that until three hours ago they'd manage to stretch it out to nearly 14 miles.

The boats still at sea in this annual offshore classic had a bit of a pasting during the past 24 hours with winds up to gale force. Of the nine retirals, one was the much-fancied 55ft Wedgetail aboard which Adrienne Cahalan was sailing as navigator. Wedgetail was dismasted, but until then she'd been challenging another boat of Irish interest, Matt Allen's new Carkeek 60 Ichi Ban helmed by Gordon Maguire.

Although Ichi Ban was first to finish in Division 1, her handicap lead in that class was soon taken by one of the German entries, the Ker 51 Varuna (Jens Kellinghusen), and then she slipped to third as the remarkably low-rated Swan 82 Nikita (Tom Brewer) came up the Derwent in stately style to push Ichi Ban back to third in class, a position she'll probably retain.

Overall, boats around the 50ft mark fitted this challenging race's changing demands very neatly, and it looks as though the oveall winner will be the Cookson 50 Victoire. Owned by Sydney plastic surgeon Darryl Hodgkinson, this boat was formerly Chris Bull's Jazz. If her expected Hobart race success holds good, it will add yet further lustre to a brilliant and enduring design which already lists the overall win in the Fastnet and the RORC Caribbean 600 in her CV, plus of course the recent comprehensive victory by Adrian Lee's Cookson 50 Lee Overlay Partners in the Dubai-Muscat Race.

Of the larger boats which attracted so much attention before the race, the neck-and-neck finish between Karl Kwok's new 80ft Beau Geste and the two Volvo 70s, Giacomo (ex-Groupama) and Black Jack (ex-Telefonica) would have been even more exciting had it not happened in the dark, when one nav light is much the same as another.

Black Jack tacked across one minute and 11 seconds ahead of Beau Geste, which in turn was one minute and six seconds ahead of Giacomo. But thanks to her slightly lower rating on handicap, Giacomo (Jim Delegat, New Zealand) corrected ahead of the other two in Div 0, getting third place just ahead of line honours winner Wild Oats XI.

The First 40 Breakthrough being skippered by Barry Hurley of the Royal Irish YC has had her moments of glory, and at one stage in mid-race she was shown as third overall. Currently she still has 98 miles to sail, which puts her in 7th place in Division 3.

#Kayaking - Derry Mayor Martin Reilly offered his congratulations to native son Jake King on taking the surf kayak world title in Australia earlier this month.

As the Derry Journal reports, 18-year-old King was crowned champion after topping three other reigning top dogs in the men's longboat, masters and junior short boat in the final of the competition at Maroochydore beach in Queensland.

According to his father Paddy, Jake King can now add his name to the list of five previous world champions from the Canoe Association of Northern Ireland (CANI) surf kayak club - which includes his brother Corin.

In other kayaking news, a London paddler has broken the record for circumnavigating the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.

BBC News reports on the feat achieved by 39-year-old George Shaw, who completed the 115km route around the island in 11 hours 43 minutes - smashing the previous record by almost an hour.

#WaterSafety - Water safety chiefs have yet again underscored the dangers of swimming in unsupervised areas after a teenager drowned in Co Derry yesterday afternoon.

The Irish Times reports that the 15-year-old boy was airlifted to hospital by police helicopter after getting into difficulty when he fell into the River Roe.

The as yet unnamed teen is the seventh drowning victim on the island of Ireland during the current heatwave.

Last week alone saw five drownings of young people, prompting Irish Water Safety CEO John Leech to make a public appeal for awareness of the dangers of swimming in areas without lifeguards, especially in open water.

“One of the reasons we’re losing all these youngish people is because a whole generation haven’t learned to swim in open water,” said Leech, who added that 32 per cent of victims have consumed alcohol.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.