Maritime Festival for Derry Clipper Fleet

15th July 2016

The Clipper Round the World fleet at the Foyle Marina in Derry Credit: Betty Armstrong

The waterfront of Derry city has been in festive mode in recent days with the full presence of the Clipper Round the World fleet, in which the home entry Derry/Londonderry/Doire is in the frame for a podium position when the next leg starts on Sunday to Den Helder in the Netherlands.

After that, there’s just one final sprint to complete the circuit back at the start port of London. But meanwhile in Derry, the waterfront beside the Foyle Marina has been given a fairground atmosphere thanks to a huge variety of market stalls and a continuous range of entertainment for all ages, with the city’s legendary hospitality being lavishly dispensed for all the crews and their support teams.

Published in Clipper Race

Tagged under

Clipper Round The World Race

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

You might also want to read...

About the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is undoubtedly one of the greatest ocean adventures on the planet, also regarded as one of its toughest endurance challenges. Taking almost a year to complete, it consists of eleven teams competing against each other on the world’s largest matched fleet of 70-foot ocean racing yachts.

The Clipper Race was established in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo, non-stop, around the world in 1968-69. His aim was to allow anyone, regardless of previous sailing experience, the chance to embrace the thrill of ocean racing; it is the only event of its kind for amateur sailors. Around 40 per cent of crew are novices and have never sailed before starting a comprehensive training programme ahead of their adventure.

This unique challenge brings together everyone from chief executives to train drivers, nurses and firefighters, farmers, airline pilots and students, from age 18 upwards, to take on Mother Nature’s toughest and most remote conditions. There is no upper age limit, the oldest competitor to date is 76.

Now in its twelfth edition, the Clipper 2019-20 Race started from London, UK, on 02 September 2019.