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Thousands bid farewell to Clippers
09.07.12
THOUSANDS of people
thronged Greencastle on Saturday to see off the
final leg of the Clipper yacht race from Lough Foyle
and providing a much-needed boost for the local
economy. The day was the finale to a week of
activities, exhibitions and maritime fun on the
Foyle.
The ten racing clippers first did a farewell lap of
the river from the Foyle Bridge to the Peace Bridge,
to the applause of thousands of well-wishers,
ceremonial canon and the 1812 Overture, before
heading out to Greencastle.
Among them were the crew of the home yacht,
Derry-Londonderry who, like the nine other crews,
left Greencastle for Den Helder in the Netherlands.
The final run will be back to Southampton, one year
and 40,000 miles after the world’s toughest ocean
races began. |
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The Derry-Londonderry Round the World
Clipper yacht. |
Also there to see the
Clippers off in Derry was Deputy First Minister
Martin McGuinness. He said: “It has been the most
amazing week in the history of the city. Not only
has it been a very highly prestigious event, but it
has shown the people of the city what is possible.
“We have learnt important lessons and now we have
the experience and the potential to host more
international events of this type. It’s important to
seize these opportunities for the city and to
improve the lifestyles of its people. It’s going to
be a very exciting City of Culture in 2013.” |
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