#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - Former Paralympic sailor and Irish National Helmsman’s Champion Feargal Kinsella will realise the dream of a lifetime when he sails on a round-the-world racing yacht in Galway as part of the Volvo Ocean Race festivities tomorrow Saturday 7 July.

The story of Feargal’s triumph over physical disability has touched the hearts of millions in recent radio and television interviews, and tomorrow morning he will finally get to fulfill one of the ten things he most wants to do in life.

"I just want to get my hands on the helm of one of the fastest and most powerful sailing boats in the world and I am absolutely thrilled that I may be able to do that on Saturday when I will join the crew of the Green Dragon on Galway Bay.”

The Green Dragon was the Chinese-Irish entry in the last Volvo Ocean Race and as part of the festival organised around the arrival of the VOR fleet in Galway, Feargal has been invited to sail it on the bay - fresh off its challenge in this year's Round Ireland Race.

A keen sailor who had sailed in many international sailing events including Fastnet and the Round Ireland Races, Feargal broke his neck in 1996. Looking back at that time. Fergal was convinced he would never sail again.

“After my first spinal injury, in 1996, my life and that of my family were thrown into turmoil. After nine months in hospital, I left in a wheelchair, paralysed from the chest down and convinced I would never sail again,” he said.

However, the Portmarnock man did take up sailing again, competing in the National Disabled Sailing Championship, the ISA Champion of Champions and representing Ireland in the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. He also won the Irish National Helmsman’s Championship in 2001 against able-bodied sailors.

A second spinal injury this Christmas saw Fergal break the fourth, fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae in his spine. Following an operation on Christmas Day, Feargal has spent the last few months at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoighaire recovering.

One of the many things Feargal learned from recovering from his last injury is the importance of having goals.

“They're not all achievable,” he said, “but a person should have something to strive for. In my case, I now have a short list, to which I'm adding as I go, of things that I should most definitely do now that I have been given something of a second chance.”

High on Feargal’s list is sailing on a fast yacht. As he said himself: “The idea of actually having a sail on one of those magnificent sailing machines is just so exciting."

Feargal’s dream will finally come true tomorrow when he takes to the water with the crew of the Green Dragon.

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - Taoiseach Enda Kenny is currently at the VOR Global Village in Galway to open the International Sustainability Summit on ‘Enabling, Financing and Delivering Sustainable Growth’, ahead of the arrival of the Volvo Ocean Race trophy this afternoon.

The striking blue and silver prize, weighing 9kg and standing 70cm high, will drop from the skies during a spectacular parachute display to be staged by the Air Corps' Black Knights parachute team.
 
The five-member team, carrying the flags of the ten countries that have participated in the race, will parachute from an Augusta Westland AW 139 helicopter to a waterfront landing zone close to the Global Village in South Park at 5pm.
 
The national flags will be displayed in formation on the beach as the helicopter lands to deliver the trophy to Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knud Frostad and John Killeen, president of the local organisers Let’s Do It Global, in the presence of the Taoiseach.
  
The prize-giving ceremony for Leg 9 of the Volvo Ocean Race will take place on the main stage in the Race Village at 5pm.

Skipper Chris Nicholson and the crew of CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, who crossed the finishing line seven minutes ahead of overall race winners Groupama, will be presented with their prize.

#islandnation – A great maritime show in Galway, controversy after the Round Ireland in Wicklow, honouring the community of Union Hall, tougher inspection of cruise ships visiting Irish ports, hogging moorings on the inland waterways, aliens in the Royal Canal, a new fleet of currachs in Killybegs, the wearing of lifejackets and Cork Week, seafood and seaweed sausage and a Howth Lifeboat retirement - it is a busy time on the marine scene!

HONOURING THE PEOPLE OF UNION HALL

You could feel emotion in the fish auction hall on the quayside in Killybegs when the dark days of last January were recalled on Friday morning as Bill Deasy, one of the West Cork fishing village's community leaders, stood in front of compatriots from coastal areas all around Ireland. A few tears were quietly shed as the tragedy of the Tit Bonhomme trawler was recalled, but shining above it all was the memory of how the people of Union Hall rallied around those families from Ireland and Egypt in the search for bodies and showed what a maritime community can do.

The occasion was the presentation of the first 'Spirit of the Sea' Award, recognition of the "inspiration and selfless commitment" of the people of Union Hall in the dark days of the Tit Bonhomme trawler last January.

"Grief and sadness was palpable across the country with the tragedy resonating amongst the coastal communities. The inspiration provided by the people of Union Hall in pursuing the search to a successful conclusion was something that we should all be proud of," said the Editor of the national fishing paper, The Marine Times, when he presented the award to Bill Deasy at the Fish Ireland Exhibition who accepted it on behalf of Union Hall.

"The dedication and compassion of the community inspired the creation of the award for which there was unanimous support from fishing ports all over Ireland," said Mark McCarthy. "It is not only dedicated to them but was inspired by them."

Later this month the Union Hall community are to unveil their own memorial in the village to all who have died at sea.

The concept of national awards in the maritime sphere is, I think, worth pursuing to raise public awareness of marine matters. It was good to see the Union Hall community honoured.

A GREAT SHOW IN GALWAY

The people of Galway have once again shown that their city deserves to be a maritime capital. It would have been hard to imagine that they could surpass what they did the last time the Volvo Ocean Race called, but they did. Despite the bad weather which has dogged Ireland this summer 20,000 people was the number put on those who, in the early hours of the morning, welcomed the Volvo Race fleet. It can be truly said that no other city has shown the backing to this event as has the City of the Tribes.

I am delighted that the mainstream general media has at last recognised Damian Foxall from Kerry as an international sporting icon. After fifteen years and four attempts in the Volvo Race, he has earned the overall winners' podium on the crew of the French yacht, Groupama. It was appropriate that his colleagues stood back to let him take the plaudits from the attendance in Galway.

Let us also not forget our other Irish sailing icon, Justin Slattery from Cork, also an overall Volvo winner as bowman on the Dutch entry ABN Amro One which was the overall victor in 2005-2006.

It is time that there was public appreciation in Ireland of these sailing stars who are far more deserving, in my view, than the approbation given to overseas footballers' and who are also far more approachable, courteous and personable. Well done to Damian, to Justin, to all the sailors in the Volvo Race and all those behind the great show in Galway.

INLAND WATERWAYS

Driving back from Killybegs I stopped in Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday afternoon, which was a revelation of how busy the maritime sphere can be inland. It was throbbing, busy, boats moving, lots of people around strolling along the riverbank on what was, for once, a nice sunny afternoon which would make you want to be on the water. It was good to see. Carrick-on-Shannon is a town which has paid attention to its maritime resources and is benefiting from that.

I hired a boat a few years ago there for a week on the inland waterways and thoroughly enjoyed. In most weather conditions you could move and the riverside towns and villages were always welcoming.

However, sometimes boat people are not welcoming to others and this is a disappointment. Waterways Ireland is getting tougher about "mooring hoggers" who have blocked up harbours and denied visitors access. It has been successful in prosecutions for breaches of a 48-hour mooring Bye-law in Lough Erne. I was told in Carrick-on-Shannon of instances where visiting boats at different locations along the waterways had alleged they had been denied the facility of mooring alongside boats already in harbour and that some had thereby felt forced back out into unsuitable weather. That this should happen is appalling and creates a potentially dangerous situation.

ROUND IRELAND PROTEST

Galway added to its sailing prowess when the Clifden Boat Club was declared overall winner of the Round Ireland Race in which members had sailed a Ker 39, Inis Mor. With the students of NUI Galway winning Class 1 that made a dual success for the West in the week in which Galway has taken centre place in the sailing world.

There is controversy about other aspects of the race, though it will not affect the overall winners. This will have to be resolved at a hearing after the organising race committee from Wicklow Sailing Club lodged a protest against Green Dragon, the former Irish entry in the Volvo Race, under sailing's Rule 47. This requires a yacht to start and finish with the same number of crew.

The race committee told me that the listed Skipper, well-known sailor Enda O'Coineen left the yacht at the Fastnet. It was first back to Wicklow, followed by the Dutch entry Tonnerre de Breskens, sailed by Piet Vroon who was defending his title. Explanations given by Green Dragon for the departure of the Skipper during racing didn't satisfy the race committee. There are provisions for a crew member to leave and I am told that Enda O'Coineen has indicated he will be defending his situation. A protest date has not yet been set.

ANOTHER SUCCESS FOR BARRY

Amidst all the coverage of the Volvo Race in Galway, another great achievement by Cobh sailor Barry Hurley did not get a lot of attention. Sailing alone in his JOD 35 Dinah, the accomplished single-hander won the first Round Rockall race from Galway. It was a tough 750-mile voyage to be on your own. Barry who takes pride in his native 'Holy Ground' in Cork Harbour sent this self-portrait from Dinah having rounded Rockall. Two years ago he won the transAtlantic OSTAR Race to America.

BLESSING THE CURRACHS IN KILLYBEGS

The most unusual thing I have been asked to do as a Marine Correspondent is to bless boats! This happened at Killybegs on Saturday afternoon when I was handed a bottle of holy water to bless the boats and wish them a safe future as the fleet was launched from the pier in the fishing town. Built in a community project they are very impressive. As I have been writing in this column, the currach is a superbly designed boat. Neily Gallagher who ran the project told me all about it and I also met the great builder and expert on currachs Owny Diver from Gola Island. A lovely occasion to be involved with.

CRUISE OPERATORS CONSIDER IRISH THREAT

Cruise ship visits are an important economic tourism boost to several ports including Cork, but there are indications that operating companies are examining what effects will result from the statement by the Maritime Safety Office that safety checks on their vessels are to be intensified when they call to Irish ports. This is in the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster. According to reports this week checks of safety and crew ability to handle evacuation will be stepped up. They are already regarded as quite tough here. While there should be no compromise on safety, it is to be hoped that there will not be an over-zealous approach which might damage this valuable shipping business.

An inquiry report into the Costa Concordia disaster is due in the middle of this month. There are unconfirmed reports about equipment not being in proper working order aboard the ship, including the 'black box' which should record conservations amongst officers on the bridge and navigational equipment, as well as suggestions that safety doors were left open rather than being closed at sea. The company has denied the Italian newspaper reports, so the release of the investigation report will be interesting to see.

WEARING LIFEJACKETS

As I watched the photographs of trawlers which had sunk with loss of life, washed up on rocks, or just disappeared, I looked at the faces of others watching the screen display, fishermen who go to sea in this most dangerous and challenging of occupations and women and children of fishing families. It was a reminder that the sea can never be taken casually.

John Leech Chief Executive of the Irish Water Safety Association was making a compelling, thought-provoking presentation at the FISH IRELAND exhibition in Killybegs where I interviewed him as part of a public series. He showed slides of the various fishing accidents and spoke about the subsequent loss of life over recent years. Very direct in pointing out to fishermen and their families the tragic consequences of not wearing lifejackets, he stressed how much more user-friendly they are these days. John's message, for all leisure boat users as well as fishermen is - be safe on the water - think of the family and wear a lifejacket. There are reminders of fishing tragedies all over the coast.

CORK WEEK

The overall entry for Cork Week is smaller than in previous years, 105 boats at the time of writing, an indicator of the economic times. The RCYC organisers have responded with some new courses, a new layout for the Race Village and say the entry may be smaller but the quality is good.

Next Friday will provide a nice public spectator opportunity for the "Cobh race" as it is known during Cork Week. All classes taking part will be combined to race around a turning mark off Cobh which, allowing always for the weather, will be a good opportunity for spectators to see sail racing and, hopefully, lots of spinnakers being raised to add colour to the spectacle.

MY FIRST SEAFOOD SAUSAGE

This week I ate my first seafood sausages of salmon and haddock which came from Kilmore Quay and were bought on their first delivery to a Cork supermarket! Very tasty. Four big sausages for €4.99 and well worth the price. I am told, if ever I get the chance, to try seaweed sausages that are

"amazing" and are in some shops, though I haven't seen them yet.

HOWTH RNLI RETIREMENT

The maritime community in Howth have paid tribute to George Duffy who has retired after 44 years with the RNLI where he was Mechanic for 25 years and also had been Deputy Coxswain to his younger brother, Robert. There is a strong family involvement with the Howth lifeboat. His youngest brother, Michael, is also an RNLI volunteer.

SCOTLAND SHOWING THE WAY

The UK Government has done an about-turn on its decision not to provide funding for an emergency towing vessel in Scotland after pressure from the Scottish Parliament. Under new arrangements a Scottish ETV will work with the UK Coastguard. The Scottish are really pushing forward the maritime aspect of their governmental responsibilities. They have also made big advances in getting back some of their fisheries controls. The provision of emergency towing vessel facilities in Ireland does not bear comparison, nor does the approach to protecting and developing our own fisheries. The UK Government in London may be taking an example from the Scottish in maritime initiatives. It has pressured the EU Commission into examining funding support for the development of British inland waterways for use by commercial freight traffic.

ALIENS ON THE ROYAL CANAL

Inland Fisheries Ireland has removed a turtle from the Royal Canal near Mullingar in County Westmeath. It seems the 30 cm. red-eared slider turtle may have been around for some time and been a nuisance to anglers by persistently taking their bait! This species is native to southern USA waters apparently and how it got to Mullingar is unknown so far, but there is suspicion that it may have become an unwanted pet that was dumped.

IFI is monitoring the stretch of the canal involved, though it is hoped this may be a one-off instance. If not there could be other repercussions for marine life there. The turtle has been removed to "another suitable location."

YOUTH SAILING AND ATLANTIC CHALLENGE

After the Volvo and Cork Week, young sailors will dominate the sport at Dun Laoghaire from July 12-21 at the International Sailing Federation's Youth World Championships and the Fastnet International Schools' Regatta will follow at Schull in West Cork from July 23 to 26.

Also in West Cork young people will take centre stage in Bantry from July 21-29 at the Atlantic Challenge.

You can follow me for more marine news and comment on Twitter: @TomMacSweeney

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#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - The skies of Galway will explode with colour tonight with a spectacular 4th of July fireworks display to coincide with the Volvo Ocean Race finale.

The event only adds to the celebratory atmosphere in the City of the Tribes after Damian Foxall's Groupama team crossed the finish line with an unassailable lead in the overall points table - marking the first Volvo Ocean Race win for the Kerryman after four attempts.

The Independence Day event is being organised by the US Embassy in Dublin, and will include a parade through the city from Eyre Square to the Global Village at 7pm.

The eight-minute pyrotechnic and musical extravaganza will commence after dark at 10.45pm on Mutton Island, just south of The Claddagh, and will be visible throughout the city - though the prime viewing spits will be South Park, Grattan Road, Dr Colohan Road and anywhere in Salthill. 

#vor – Kerry's Damian Foxall Groupama team won the 11th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race early this morning when they crossed the finish line in the pitch black Galway night to settle the closest contest in the race's 39-year history.

While CAMPER were celebrating victory in the ninth and final leg, Groupama skipper Franck Cammas led his team home in second place to take an unassailable 24-point lead with just one in-port race to go.

The win for Groupama would be the first Volvo Ocean Race victory for Foxall, who has sailed round the world nine times. The Kerry man hails  from Derrynane and had a childhood dream of competing in the then Whitbread Round the World Race.

Foxall is not the first Irish winner, Foxall joins hid former Green Dragon team mater Cork sailor Justin Slattery who was a winner of this race in 2006.

This morning Groupama crossed the finish line at 00:49:11 UTC, just seven minutes behind CAMPER. PUMA finished in third place at 00:55:01 UTC ahead of Team Telefonica, who finished at 00:59:33 UTC.

Cammas, the 39-year-old Frenchman, threw his arms up and pumped his fists in the air while thousands of fans gathered on the dock of Galway Bay to roar the team -- including Irishman Damian Foxall -- home to a remarkable victory in their first appearance in the race.

Damian is centre stage for this morning's celebrations

Turning the Galway night sky red. CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, skippered by Chris Nicholson from Australia, arrive to a huge spectator crowd, after winning leg 9 to Galway. Photo: Paul Todd

Groupama are the first team to represent France in the Volvo Ocean Race since Eric Tabarly's La Poste in 1993-94 and they are only the second French winners after Lionel Pean on L'Espirit d'Equipe in 1985-86.

The team gallantly fought back from a deficit that was as high as 28 points following the HaiTang Bay In-Port Race in Sanya, winning the next leg to Auckland and steadily improving their knowledge of their boat and cohesion as a team to surge to a commanding lead going into Leg 9.

With the sort of nerve that quickly became their trademark in the race, Groupama stayed serenely out of trouble on the 550-nautical mile race through wild conditions in the English Channel and around the iconic Fastnet Rock, to finish second across the line and seal their place among an elite band of winners in an event that began life as the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973.

CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand led the procession across the finish line much to the delight of surrounding flotilla of spectators, at 00:42:13 UTC -- their first leg win of the race.

CAMPER are almost certain to secure second place with 226 points, six points clear of third place PUMA, with just the final in-port race remaining.

Six points will be up for grabs for first place, five for second, four for third and so on when the final race of the epic 39,000 nautical mile ocean race starts on July 7.

Camper are greeted by a huge crowd this morning

Standings after the final offshore leg:

1. Groupama (France) 250 points

2. Camper/ETNZ (Spain/New Zealand) 226

3. Pima (U.S.) 220

4. Telefonica (Spain) 209

5. Abu Dhabi (UAE) 124 + 5 or 10

6. Sanya (China) 40 + 5 or 10

The Minister for the Marine Simon Coveney, TD, is travelling to Galway tonight to take to the sea to welcome the Volvo Ocean Fleet at the end of its 39,000 mile round the world race.

The Minister will board a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) and make his way from Galway harbour to an area in the bay where the boats are expected between 1am and 2am tomorrow morning. They are due to enter the Harbour to a massive welcome at about 2.15 pm.

Minister Coveney will formally welcome the skippers and crew and congratulate them on their outstanding achievement.

John Killeen President of Let's do it Global, organizers of the 9 day festival built around the Volvo Race finale said, "we are delighted that the Minister, a distinguished sailor, is coming here and getting out on the bay to welcome the boats and their crews"

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE – With the last leg now in the final hours before the grand finale of the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway, Minister for Enterprise Richard Bruton yesterday joined Tourism Ireland in the penultimate stopover port of Lorient at a reception for key French and international media contacts.

The event, which took place in the Volvo Ocean Race Village in Lorient, was an opportunity to showcase Galway and Ireland as a fantastic holiday destination – part of Tourism Ireland’s worldwide publicity drive during the race to reach a huge audience of potential holidaymakers.
 
The Volvo Ocean Race is the third largest sport event globally in 2012, attracting huge publicity around the world – with an estimated two billion people seeing it on TV, reading about it and tuning in to hear about it on the radio.

Since the race kicked off last November from Alicante in Spain, Tourism Ireland has been working in key markets where the race stopped to ensure Galway and Ireland were in the spotlight.
 
Billy Condon, Tourism Ireland’s manager for southern Europe, said: "The Volvo Ocean Race attracts huge publicity around the world and with Galway set to host the grand finale this week, the stopover here in Lorient was an ideal opportunity to showcase Galway and the west to the international media in attendance, drawing positive attention and publicity for the destination.

"The event is a great ‘hook’ for Tourism Ireland to reach a huge audience of potential French and other international holidaymakers.”
 
The 2009 stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway brought 40,500 international visitors to the city, as well as 269 journalists from around the world. 

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - TG4 will broadcast tonight’s Volvo Ocean Race arrivals from Galway live at TG4.tv.

The boats are expected to arrive in Galway sometime between 2am and 4am tomorrow morning, and live commentary will be provided online by Martin Tasker and Peter Lester as the fleet approaches the finish line.

TG4's coverage begins this evening at 7.30pm with highlights from the start of Leg 9, following the fleet along the 485 natutical miles from Lorient to Galway through the treacherous waters of the Celtic Sea.

The channel will also present live coverage of the in-port race from Galway this Saturday 7 July from 12.45pm.

After nine months, nine legs and 39,000 nautical miles, it all comes down to this one race, the final scoring opportunity for teams in the 2011-2012 edition of the race which could well decide the overall podium positions. 

The fleet will sail for an intense hour around a course positioned close to land to both challenge the crew and delight those lining the shore along Salthill and Barna. 

Later this month, on Sunday 29 July at 2pm, TG4 will broadcast the official film for this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. 

The documentary will take a look back at the 2011/2012 race as the boats left Alicante last October, sailing around the world and visiting ports and cities such as Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, Itajaí, Miami, Lisbon, Lorient and Galway. 

Delving into the world’s premier global race and one of the most demanding team sporting events in the world, the film will get close to the action in the ultimate mix of world class sporting competition and on-the-edge adventure, a unique blend of onshore glamour with offshore drama and endurance. 

Follow TG4's live coverage of the event HERE.

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - Team Telefónica currently leads the Volvo Ocean Race fleet on the final leg with just a day's sailing left to go to the finish line in Galway.

As of 9.15am this morning, the Spanish team were closing in fast on Fastnet Rock, just 40 nautical miles ahead.

Hot on their heels is the CAMPER team, followed by a racey PUMA and Groupama, whose watch captain Damian Foxall is on course for his first ever Volvo Ocean Race win on home waters.

At the back of the pack, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing - featuring Wexford sailor Justin Slattery on deck – are in fifth place ahead of the Discover Ireland-backed entry Team Sanya, skippered by Ian Walker - who shared his strategy to make up for lost time.

“We’ll go thorough a second trough that will head the wind, so we’ll end up on the wind on much tighter angles near Fastnet Rock and a little more on the wind to get round the corner of Ireland, then the wind should come aft again to get us into Galway,” he said.

The first of the fleet is set to cross the finish line in Galway to meet the sunrise at 4am tomorrow morning, according to VOR headquarters in Alicante, Spain.

Follow rolling updates on the race fleet at the official Volvo Ocean Race website HERE.

#VOLVO OCEAN RACE - Dave Vinell spoke to the Galway Independent recently about his longtime love of the sea ahead of the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race finale in Galway.

The Commodore of the Galway Bay Sailing Club, who grew up in Essex, tells how he began in kayaking but soon moved in to sailing a one-man Laser dinghy.

“Since that, I am on my tenth boat, the same type as the one I started sailing 45 years ago," he says. "I can’t seem to get away from it!”

Even today he still races his Laser, juggling his competitions with his duties as Commodore - and his responsibilities overseeing the on-water activities for the Volvo Ocean Race finale in Galway Bay.

Aside from looking after the main racing events, the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) regional race officer and national judge will also be helping to get 10,000 youngsters on the water during the week's festivities.

The Galway Independent has more on the story HERE.