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Greencastle prepares for Clipper
tourism wave
18.06.12
GREENCASTLE fishing
village is expecting thousands of visitors as it
prepares to welcome the world's longest yacht race
later this month.
Fishermen in the Inishowen whitefish port will
temporarily discharge their catches in Derry to free
up their harbour to accommodate the Clipper Round
the World Yacht Race from June 30 to July 8.
Derry, which has a yacht competing this year, is one
of the official 14 host ports. However, Greencastle,
at the entrance to Lough Foyle, will be the first
port the sailors meet after their 2,200 mile dash
across the Atlantic from Nova Scotia. The Co Donegal
port will also be the departure point for the final
leg of the race, on July 7 and bound for northern
Europe.
The Clipper event is a 40,000-mile circumnavigation
of the world by ten, 68 foot yachts, manned, on
various legs, by a total of 450 crew from all walks
of life. It started last August and finishes in
Southampton, England, on July 22. |
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The Derry-Londonderry Round the World
Clipper yacht when it sailed up Lough Foyle back in
May 2011. |
A week-long festival of
maritime events are being planned in Greencastle and
Derry for the stopover.
Donegal County Council has been granted permission
by the Department of the Environment to install
temporary pontoons in Greencastle's outer harbour to
facilitate up to four of the competing yachts and
the many tourist boats expected to visit.
"The local fishermen were among the first to
recognise the opportunities and benefits to the
community and generously volunteered to vacate the
outer harbour to allow it to be transformed into a
host facility for Clipper Week," said Moville Boat
Club spokesman, Seamus Bovaird.
Meanwhile, Moville Boat Club is organising a yacht
and cruiser race on the Wednesday of Clipper Week.
"The facilities in Greencastle will allow these
boats to stage to Greencastle on the first weekend
of Clipper Week, stay in Greencastle for the
Wednesday races and then proceed up to Derry to
enjoy the Clipper events there and return down river
in company with the departing Clipper yachts on the
final Saturday for the start of the next leg.
"They can overnight in Greencastle and head home
when the tides suit on the Sunday. This will make
the whole event more do-able and should help attract
more visitors," said Seamus.
A major clean-up of the whitefish port is almost
complete with new safety equipment and signage also
being installed.
Greencastle harbour master, Frank McDermott, said
preparations for the visiting flotilla are well
advanced.
"We will be putting in a 30-metre berth for Clippers
as well as an extra 80-metres of pontoon to
accommodate visiting yachts, cruisers and
powerboats. These temporary berths will be in place
for about eight days. It will be a busy time in the
harbour," said Mr McDermott.
Meanwhile, the Irish Coast Guard will deploy a
mobile incident command centre and an extra rib to
back up the Greencastle unit while extra volunteers
will be drafted in from the Mulroy and Killybegs
Coast Guard units. For events and updates, see
www.foyleinishowen.com . |
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