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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.
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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