After a thrilling week of festivities the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Fleet has left Cork to begin the final leg of the race. The Clipper Fleet left Port of Cork City Marina in a Parade of Sail at 13.30 today with a Clipper Fleet Departure Ceremony with The Band of the 1st Southern Brigade and Lord Mayor Cllr Michael O'Connell presiding over the farewell proceedings.
At the ceremony he said "We would like to say thanks to our Cork Yacht and Skipper Hannah Jenner- they have given us enormous pride since they arrived here and over the last couple of months as well. We wish them very well now on their voyage over to Holland over the next few days. And I want to thank everybody for coming down here today for giving such a massive send off".
It has been a hugely successful week for the Cork Clipper Festival which saw official attendance figures reaching 25,000 on Wednesday and 20,000 visitors on Thursday. Friday's Festival Finale was an appropriate fanfare farewell which saw Cork's own global internet sensation Crystal Swing entertain a packed crowd at the main stage at the Race Village before The Walls closed the curtain on an amazing week of live music entertainment.
Listen to Cork Skipper Hannah Jenner on our special Cork Podcast HERE