#CLIPPER – Derry-Londonderry, the Northern Irish entry in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race, has arrived in Qingdao, China, today to a hero's welcome completing one of the toughest legs of the world's longest ocean race.

The multi-coloured yacht livery made a big impact in the bright early morning sunshine and a freezing wind. The arrival reflected the Northern Irish team's 'LegenDerry' nickname as they were greeted at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre with a specular ceremony including fireworks, drums and, not least, dozens of Chinese and international media who all fought to get pictures and interviews with the heroic crew.

As the team, representing the UK City of Culture 2013, stepped on to the pontoon in Qingdao after 19 days at sea in this challenging stage from Singapore, Derry-Londonderry's skipper, Mark Light, said, "That was the first red carpet I've ever walked on. We knew it was going to be a good welcome here in Qingdao, but how fantastic. So much colour everywhere and they were so pleased to see us."

The crew secured their first podium in Singapore three weeks ago, but with the tough conditions at sea, Mark is positive about their sixth place gained on this part of the race.

"I was really happy with the way we sailed. I'm very proud of my team, as this is probably the best that we've worked together to date. It's good to have a decent result after a good result reaching the podium in Singapore. We did have some tough conditions, which were very bouncy and a few scared people, but we handled it really well," he said.

The team was surrounded by dragon dancers whose performance demonstrated the respect the people of Qingdao have for the crews. Gifts of flowers, hats and scarves were given to the crew and the skipper was draped in a yellow cape, which symbolises nobleness and in ancient China it was only worn when emperors and generals set out on battle fields and returned victorious.

The Derry-Londonderry crew was visibly overwhelmed by the spectacular welcome, including round the world crew member Michelle McCann. The 58-year-old a teacher from Greencastle, Co Donegal, said, "What an amazing arrival into Qingdao. I feel like such a super star and have never had so many photographs taken of my in my life. It was so bitterly cold out on the sea and then to arrive into the sunshine and experience such a beautiful welcome was so fantastic."

The crew were formally welcomed to the city by Wang Xiulin, Vice Mayor of Qingdao. He said, "Battling treacherous waves and ferocious winds in this grim winter, you have successfully finished this harsh leg with your strong will, outstanding courage and professional sailing prowess. This remarkable feat allows the Qingdao citizens to once again experience the splendid world-class sailing event."

Yesterday the first four teams of the Clipper Round the World Yacht fleet arrived in Qingdao. De Lage Landen won for the first time, despite crossing the finish line 23 minutes after Geraldton Western Australia, the Dutch boat clinched victory because the Race Committee granted a request for seven hours redress after the yacht left the race to support Gold Coast Australia during a medical emergency. Despite the emergency the Australian entry secured third place, while Singapore arrived in fourth place.

During the stopover in Qingdao a diverse programme of cultural activities awaits the crew and skippers of the ten-strong fleet, including meeting local families and ceremonial activities, as well as sponsors using the Clipper Race as a platform to do business and build relationships with Chinese organisations.

The rest of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race fleet are expected to arrive in Qingdao over the next few days.

This is the fourth time the city has sponsored an entry and hosted the Clipper Race fleet. Qingdao recently signed a contract to sponsor two more races until 2016 to build on its legacy as the sailing venue of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and to continue to strengthen its brand as China's sailing city.

The race started in Southampton, UK on 31 July 2011 and will end there on 22 July 2012 after taking 51 weeks to travel over 40,000 miles visiting 15 ports of call on six continents.

#CLIPPER–The ecstatic Derry-Londonderry crew have sailed into in Batam, Indonesia, after securing second place in Race 7 in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race. It is the team's first podium finish of their campaign.

The crew arrived in Nongsa Point Marina just after Gold Coast Australia who secured their sixth victory of the 15-race competition. They will wait here for the other eight 68-foot yachts competing in the world's longest ocean race before all ten cross the Singapore Straits to Marina at Keppel Bay, Singapore, for a ceremonial arrival there on Saturday 28 January.

As he arrived in the marina at 0730 local time (0030 UTC), Derry-Londonderry's skipper, Mark Light, described his joy at securing the team's first pennant of the competition.

"It feels amazing to come in second. It was a long race. We've been dying for a podium position and I knew we had it in us. To finally get it confirmed was brilliant. I just can't wait to get on the stage and accept the pennant," he said.

Explaining the pressure the team was under as they led the fleet in the South Pacific, Mark continued, "It is worse leading, I think. We are always looking over our shoulder and making sure we are doing the right things. Gold Coast Australia are quick and we knew they were going to be close and they just got us at the end."

Gold Coast Australia's skipper, Richard Hewson, paid tribute to the team who represent the UK City of Culture 2013, describing the atmosphere on board his yacht as both crews closed in on the finish line.

"It was really exciting. Towards the end I called a meeting around midnight and got everyone around. I said, 'We've got 30 miles to go and we are neck and neck with Derry-Londonderry. We either go hard now and win, or we take it easy and there is a chance that we come second.'

"The guys really pitched in and we did a 'super-watch' for a good five or six hours and in the end we only won by a bit over an hour. I think if we hadn't done that then Derry-Londonderry could have well taken us."

Gold Coast Australia finished just 79 minutes ahead of Derry-Londonderry in the 4,600-mile race from the Gold Coast.

Michelle McCann from Greencastle, Co. Donegal, said, "The race was fantastic; the best one yet. We had everything, we had plenty of wind at the start and we did really well with the right plan, strategy and tactics. Everything just worked for us.

"We deserve first I think, because we raced so well, but we just got pipped to the post. However, coming second to Gold Coast Australia, which is the fastest boat in the race, is brilliant. Just brilliant!" she beamed. "This is the start of our collection – that's how we're thinking of it!"

Clipper 11-12 is the eighth edition of the event which is 'raced by people like you'. Michelle, a teacher, and her fellow crew who include a student, an engineer, an airline pilot, a pharmacist, a project manager, a children's centre manager and a retired nutritionist, have put their everyday lives on hold to compete in the challenge of a lifetime.

Demand for berths on forthcoming editions of the race is at unprecedented levels and several hundred people have already committed to taking part in Clipper 13-14, which will see the introduction of a brand new fleet of 12 state of the art 70-foot yachts.

#CLIPPER – An ecstatic Derry-Londonderry crew has secured their first podium position of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race. The team, nicknamed the 'LegenDerrys' finished in second place while Gold Coast Australia has claimed victory in Race 7 after the Race Committee made the decision to shorten the course in the stage from the Gold Coast to Singapore.

Extremely light winds which would have prevented the race management team from setting a fair course for the second stage of Race 7, combined with an increased threat of piracy in the Singapore Straits in the light conditions over the Chinese New Year, led to the tough decision. The positions of the yachts at the Celebes Sea Gate, which marked the end of the first phase of the race from Australia, will be taken as the final standings for Race 7.

Race Director, Joff Bailey, told the teams at 0700 UTC today, "Race 7 to Celebes Sea Gate from the Gold Coast was certainly long enough at 3,200nm to qualify as a serious race. It was run fairly, you all had chances to make gains and losses and see your tactics play out and I believe it was one of the most interesting races we have run."

During the race the lead changed hands a number of times as the ten internationally-backed yachts fought for supremacy with Derry-Londonderry, Geraldton Western Australia, and Qingdao all taking their turn to lead the fleet. Gold Coast Australia's tactic of heading much further north than the other nine teams before hooking in to a favourable current allowed them to swoop into the lead in the final miles before the Celebes Sea Gate, which has now become the Race 7 finish line.

They beat Derry-Londonderry into second place by just an hour and 19 minutes, and Geraldton Western Australia claimed third place three hours and 15 minutes behind the Northern Ireland entry. Both teams have recorded their best results of the campaign.

Reacting to news of his team's sixth victory of the Clipper 11-12 Race, Tasmanian yachtsman, Richard Hewson said, "Although the race from Gold Coast to Singapore was cut 'short' I believe it was one of the most mentally challenging and frustrating races to date where any number of tactical decisions could have won the race for any of the ten yachts in the fleet. Crewmembers on Gold Coast Australia are ecstatic about their victory and we will celebrate in style on arrival in Singapore.

"I would like to thank the other yachts in the race, particularly Derry-Londonderry and Geraldton Western Australia who sailed extremely well and made the race very close and exciting."

Mark Light, skipper of the entry representing the UK City of Culture 2013, said, "What a fantastic result for us! I am so proud of each and every one of my crew. We have worked so hard as a team and although a long time coming, we always believed we had a podium finish within us. This gives us huge belief for the next race that we can push on and remain one of the front runners. For me personally it is a brilliant result: a very close second place only 80 minutes behind the overall leader.

"These races are incredibly hard to win and I would like to give massive credit to Gold Coast Australia for another huge result.

"I will be very proud to lead my team up on to the podium in Singapore to represent the good people of Derry-Londonderry and all who have supported us. Thank you very much."

The city's Mayor, Maurice Devenney, congratulating the team said, "We're very proud of the team and they deserve this achievement after their challenging sail. Their global sailing journey helps the city on its journey to tell the world about the many opportunities that exist for tourism, cultural and business connections as we get ready for becoming the inaugural UK City of Culture in 2013. We would like to send the teams our best wishes and we look forward to welcoming them all to the city as part of the race in July 2012".

It was a closely fought race, with both Qingdao and Singapore, who were aiming to be on the podium when the fleet arrives in Marina at Keppel Bay, both in contention for one of the top three places. They finished fourth and fifth respectively; Qingdao's result is a campaign-best result for the Chinese team.

Completing the finish order, De Lage Landen finished sixth, followed by New York, Visit Finland, Welcome to Yorkshire and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital.

The result means Derry-Londonderry moves up the overall table from eighth to seventh place while Gold Coast Australia's win consolidates their dominance of the competition and the team is now 20 points ahead of closest rivals, Visit Finland. Dutch entry De Lage Landen remains in third place overall.

The fleet will now proceed to Batam, Indonesia, where they will muster ahead of a spectacular ceremonial arrival in Marina at Keppel Bay, Singapore on Saturday 28 January.

Ms Wang Look Fung, Director, Group Corporate Affairs at Keppel Corporation, Singapore's Team Sponsor and Host Port Sponsor for the Singapore stopover, said, "Many Keppelites and Singaporeans are all eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Clipper Race fleet into Marina at Keppel Bay. The international event will certainly lend colour and vibrancy to Keppel Bay's appeal as a waterfront lifestyle hub with our luxurious homes, a marina playground, and a host of other waterfront amenities including Singapore's only RYA-accredited Keppel Bay Sailing Academy."

Discovery World across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) has also been screening the series on Tuesday evenings (times may vary in different territories). Check local schedules for further information.

On the naval front, LE Emer was built in Cork's Verolme Dockyard in 1978. She represents the oldest of the eight-strong fleet and is designed from the Naval Service's first purpose built patrol vessel OPV LE Deirdre (P20) but was modified to improve her stability and speed. This vessel was decommissioned several years ago and was converted into a private yacht.

The original BOFORS 40mm L60 gun of the LE Emer was recently upgraded to a BOFORS 40mm L70 to improve range and accuracy of her main armament. She alongside her 65m sisters LE Aoife (P22) and LE Aisling (P23) where all built primarily to patrol the Irish section of the European Economic Zone (EEZ).

During their careers the 'Emer' class vessels have also completed numerous re-supply missions to Irish troops serving overseas with the United Nations and in particular in the Lebanon. A crew compliment of 46 (5 officers) operate the vessels which are all now in their fourth decade of service.

OPV HMS Severn is the third of four 'River' class offshore patrol vessels and like her Irish counterpart is deployed on fishery duties. The 1,677 displacement tonnes vessel was built in 2001 in the UK'S south coast port of Southampton at Woolston Docks. Her home port for the 30 crew is at HM Naval Base in neighbouring Portsmouth.

She becomes the fifth ship to bear the name and with sisters HMS Mersey (P 282) and HMS Tyne (P 281) they are assigned to the Fishery Protection Squadron. Click the ship's diary to follow the ship news. The final member of the River class HMS Clyde (P 257) serves as a Falklands Islands Patrol Vessel (FIPV).

The Mayor, Cllr Colum Eastwood, officially welcomed the yacht, skipper and crew of Derry-Londonderry to the city at a lunchtime ceremony today. Also there to wish the team fair winds and to offer some winning words of advice was five-time Olympic gold medallist, Sir Steve Redgrave, who met the crew on board before champagne was sprayed over the yacht's bow

Skipper, Mark Light, and the crew of Derry-Londonderry are preparing for the start of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race which, at 40,000 miles, is the world's longest ocean race. It will begin from the south coast of England on 31 July 2011 and Derry-Londonderry will host a stopover in July 2012 when all ten of the 68-foot stripped down racing yachts and their crews will visit the city for a week-long celebration. It will be the first time a Northern Irish port has welcomed the Clipper Race fleet.

This weekend sees another first – it is the inaugural visit of the yacht to Derry-Londonderry and she will play a starring role in the Foyle Days maritime festival which is taking place until Sunday and also features ships from the Irish Navy and Royal Navy.

More than 30 of the crew who, between them, represent nine nationalities, will be visiting Derry-Londonderry over the weekend to find out more about the city for which they will be ambassadors as they circumnavigate the globe.

Welcoming the yacht and crew to the city, the Mayor, Cllr Colum Eastwood said, "This has been a tremendous week of symbolism and we have seen Ireland as a country moving forward. We have a bit of symbolism ourselves with the Irish Navy and British Navy parked side by side in a city like Derry; I think that tells its own story. It tells a story of a city that is moving forward, leading a process of reconciliation. This event, the Clipper Race, will be part of that process. It will help us put Derry on the world stage and I am so excited to see it happen. It's tremendous to see the skipper and crew of Derry-Londonderry and all the people from the city and from the navies around the world. I think it shows the commitment that we have to making this thing work. 2013 will be a huge year for our city but 2012 is shaping up to be a massive year as well."

Clipper Race Director, Jonathan Bailey, responded equally as warmly, saying, "We see our sponsors and crew, both current and past, as part of a larger family. That family includes cities and nations from across the globe, including places like Singapore, New York, Qingdao in China, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro to name a few. We can now add Derry-Londonderry to that list and it is my pleasure to welcome the city into our family. In July next year the team will return here after travelling 40,000miles around the globe, taking the name of Derry-Londonderry to millions of people and businesses around the world. It is a unique opportunity to showcase what your city and Northern Ireland has to offer on a global stage and will increase tourism and trade in the region."

During the morning local businesses came together to find out how they might benefit during the stopover as well as exploiting international trade opportunities during the race.
Derry-Londonderry's participation in the Clipper 11-12 Race is a major part of the events programme to highlight their status as UK City of Culture 2013 and one which will provide a lasting legacy for the city in terms of both infrastructure and the economy.

The city's participation in the race is in partnership with Derry City Council, Londonderry Port and Harbour Commission and Ocean Event Management. It is supported by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Ilex URC and Sail West.

The Harbour Master at Londonderry Port, Captain Bill McCann, says it means a lot to the port and the local sailing community to have the longest boat race in the world coming to the Foyle. Captain McCann says they have invested heavily over the years in creating the infrastructure for events of this scale, with the development of a new pontoon in the city, "which fits perfectly into the city's strategy for marine leisure and tourism. We will be ready for the Clipper Race within six months and then the facilities at Derry will be second to none."

Bill McCann believes that the Clipper Race will renew interest in sailing and maritime events, and that it will increase the Foyle and the city's chances of securing similar large scale events in the future. "The Clipper Race will finish at the mouth of the Foyle between Greencastle in Co Donegal and Magilligan in Co Derry - it would be hard to find a more visually stunning spot on the planet, and it's an ideal start or finish point for any race."

Derry-Londonderry will be berthed on the Foyle Pontoon, Queen's Quay until Sunday 22 May when church leaders will lead a fleet blessing at 12.30pm. There is an opportunity to find out more about how to become a Clipper Race crew member from the race team who will be at the Foyle Days festival. Berths are now available for Clipper 13-14 and beyond.

Over the years she has changed hands between Dutch and UK interests for recreational use. Several years ago she starred in the RTE TV reality show 'Cabin Fever' where she replaced the show's first ship Camaret of Cornwall (branded as 'Cabin Fever') after it ran aground off Tory Island.

During the two-day festival (11am-5pm) the boating community at the event will include the Coleraine Yacht Club, Foyle Paddlers, Foyle Punts, Lough Foyle Yacht Club, Lough Swilly Yacht Club, Moville Boat Club, RNLI and the Foyle (SAR) Search and Rescue.

Visitors to Foyle Days can call to the Clipper stand and learn more about the city's entry of the Derry~Londonderry boat in the 2011-2012 Clipper Round the World Race. Learn more about the countries the crew will visit and also how to get involved in the event. For more information about the race, at 40,000 miles is the world's longest race go to www.clipperroundtheworld.com/

Running alongside the festival a continental market with 40 stalls will be open to all at the recently revamped Guildhall Square. For further details about Foyle Days click here.

Mark, 39, is among the line-up of international sailors who have been appointed to the prestigious and challenging position following a rigorous selection process and says, "I am absolutely delighted to have got the job. It didn't sink in initially when I got the phone call but then the emails started coming through and it's now all very real. It's amazing – a great feeling!"

Derry-Londonderry's participation will form the centrepiece of the campaign leading up to the city's celebrations as UK City of Culture 2013.

Mark says, "When I got the job I had in mind that I would like to skipper the Irish entry so it's great to have been appointed to lead the Derry-Londonderry team. I think Northern Ireland's a fantastic place and it's great that our stopover is one of the last of the race so we have it as a great motivator all the way around."

Derry-Londonderry is one of ten internationally-sponsored entries in Clipper 11-12. They include Singapore, Chinese entry, Qingdao, and De Lage Landen which will race under the Dutch flag. The Clipper Race is the only global ocean race open to everyone, regardless of background and sailing ability and is the longest in the world. Almost 500 people from 40 nationalities and more than 250 different professions will step outside their comfort zone to race a stripped down, 68-foot yacht 40,000 miles around the world.

"I believe the whole concept of the Clipper Race is brilliant," says Mark. "Making ocean sailing accessible to anybody and providing the challenge and platform on which to literally change people's lives is very special."

He continues, "Being able to lead a crew around the world in a yacht race, for me, takes everything to the next level. It will be so satisfying to watch a group of people put together randomly at first, progress with lots of hard work and training and evolve into a highly competitive race team and group of very accomplished offshore sailors. I will be very proud to carry out that job."

Originally from Gloucestershire, Mark now lives on the Isle of Wight and hopes to celebrate his 40th birthday racing a yacht to victory somewhere in the Southern Ocean. Introduced to sailing in his late 20s he learned to sail dinghies on a lake. Once bitten by the sailing bug he took the plunge, left his job as a mechanical and production engineer and studied full time for the sailing qualifications that would allow him to turn his passion into a career. Now an experienced senior instructor with many ocean crossings to his name, he is most looking forward to racing across the Pacific Ocean – and arriving in his team's home port, Derry-Londonderry, at the end of the final transatlantic stage.

"I am looking forward to the whole race as every leg will no doubt bring very different challenges but there are definitely sections I am looking forward to specifically. The leg I am most looking forward to is crossing the greatest ocean on the planet – the mighty Pacific – but the stopover I am looking forward to most is of course, Derry-Londonderry. Sailing down the River Foyle into the heart of the City of Culture to a fabulous reception is going to be unbeatable!"

The Clipper Race celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, the first edition having been run in 1996. It was established by legendary yachtsman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston who, in 1969, became the first man to sail solo and non-stop around the world. He wanted to make ocean racing available to everyone, regardless of nationality or background, and since that first race almost 3,000 ordinary people have taken the opportunity to step outside of their comfort zone and do something truly extraordinary by taking on nature in the raw and racing around the world under sail. More than 5,000 more have been introduced to sailing through the Clipper Training programme.

Sir Robin comments, "Leading a team in a race around the world is one of the hardest and most challenging jobs that any skipper could ever undertake and we're confident Mark is up to this challenge. He has been through a lengthy and rigorous selection process and we have chosen a group of ten exceptional individuals as our race skippers. They all have the ability to draw the line between competitiveness and safety while, at the same time, motivating the crew to retain their focus during races lasting several weeks at a time, whether it be through roaring gales and towering seas or the frustration of tricky calm spells."

Followers of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race can look forward to some exciting and exhilarating racing when the event gets underway this August. During the 40,000-mile race the fleet will stop at 15 ports around the world before arriving back in the UK in July 2012. For the first time the route includes an extra leg that will take the fleet from the west coast of Australia rounding Cape Leeuwin en route to New Zealand and then on to Australia's east coast.

The search is already underway for suitably qualified men and women to follow in the footsteps of these ten skippers in the next edition of the race which will start in 2013 and will be raced on the brand new fleet of 70-foot yachts that have been specially commissioned. Skippers wishing to register their interest in applying for one of the most prestigious positions in sailing should email [email protected].

An economic impact analysis was carried out by three MBS students from University College Cork (Ger Swayne, Lorcan Daly & Stephen Hicks) which reported an economic impact of €5.6m with accommodation and food and beverage accounting for 65% of the figure. The students worked according to the standard Failte Ireland festival report methodology which includes qualitative and quantitative research.

At today's launch Deputy Mayor Of County Cork Cllr John O Sullivan stated 'the festival gave a great boost to the Kinsale area early in the summer season and it also ensured that works were carried out in the town prior to the event that benefitted both locals and visitors. In particular the refurbishment of the Old Mill as an exhibition venue was a huge new resource for the town.'

The media report was carried out by IFM Sports Marketing Surveys and was commissioned by Clipper Ventures who run the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Global media coverage for the whole race is estimated at over $100m and Cork's share of this is very substantial at $26.5m. These figures are boosted by a Discovery Channel global deal that has been agreed with the TV series producers and Clipper Ventures. An Irish broadcaster for the series will be announced in the coming weeks.

Commenting on today's results, Fiona Buckley, Head of Operations,  Fáilte Ireland stated 'from a tourism perspective the media coverage that Kinsale, Cork and the region received through the Clipper project will ensure that Cork is top of mind as a tourism destination in the coming years. In addition the economic report found that 98% of the overseas visitors would return to Cork as a result of the Clipper festival and 97% would recommend Cork to their friends.'

The festival in Kinsale was helped by the arrival of the fleet of 10 Clipper yachts six days ahead of schedule and the fantastic weather during that period.  When the yachts moved to the new Port of Cork Marina on 07 July the weather changed dramatically and this had an impact on the attendance figures in the city.

'When the fleet arrived in Cork city there was a crowd of over 10,000 people to welcome the fleet to the new Cork City Marina which was installed to welcome the Race but is also a lasting legacy to marine tourism in the region. We would like to thank the Port of Cork for investing in this new permanent infrastructure with the support of Cork City Council.

This new Marina will play host to other marine events over the coming years.' Stated Lord Mayor Cllr Michael O Connell Clipper Race Chairman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, said, "Cork and Kinsale were fantastic hosts, providing marvellous entertainment during
the race festivals in both locations and I am pleased to see that they reaped the rewards. The welcome visitors received will ensure a lasting tourism legacy for years to come. "

The return on investment for the project is estimated at over 300% which is above average for hosting a sporting event of this calibre.

Next year's Irish entry in the Clipper Round the World Race may be named twice according to Lorna Siggins in the Irish Times.  The local yacht could bear the name Derry on one side of its bow and Londonderry on the other, as it circumnavigates the globe – to appease all political interests on the river Foyle. More from the Irish Times HERE.