A spectacular welcome greeted the crews of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race as they arrived back in Hull at the end of their 35,000-mile circumnavigation. For the non-professional crew onboard the ten ocean racing yachts, the return to Hull Marina marks the end of a challenge of a lifetime as they battled the elements in search of victory and the title of Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race champions.

Tens of thousands of people lined the banks of the Humber and the quayside of Hull Marina to welcome home the crews after a gruelling ten-month challenge that has seen them take on the world's largest and most formidable oceans, endured violent storms and frustrating calms, extreme heat and bone-numbing cold, unstintingly come to the aid of their fellow competitors in times of need and, all the while, raced ferociously to win.

Steve Conlon (left) of the Irish Marine Federation welcomed the Irish entry Cork back to Hull at the weekend with Clipper Race organiser Robin Knox Johnston

Crossing the finish line overnight at the end of the 14th and final stage of the Clipper 09-10 Race, the Irish entry, Cork, claimed the maximum ten points for securing their second first place of their campaign. It is an achievement made all the more remarkable by the fact the team's original yacht ran aground on a reef in the Java Sea in January.

Cork's victory in Race 14 denied Hull & Humber their much coveted home port win but their second place finish did allow the 'big orange boat' to leapfrog Jamaica Lightning Bolt in the final standings to finish fourth overall. Again, a remarkable achievement for the team whose original skipper, Piers Dudin, was med-evac'd by the Japanese Coastguard in the North Pacific after his leg was broken when a huge wave washed him across the deck. Piers joined Justin Taylor, who took over as skipper, and the rest of the Hull & Humber crew on stage to great cheers and applause from the crowds.

Clipper 09-10 champions, Spirit of Australia, finished third in the final stage of the 14-race challenge, minutes ahead of Cape Breton Island, whose performance guaranteed them a place on the final podium. The Canadian team finish third overall, just 1.3 points behind Team Finland.

The ten yachts raced up the Humber in the presentational John Harrison Race, commemorating the man who, in the 18th Century, revolutionised the age of sail by inventing the marine chronometer, a device enabling sailors to accurately plot their longitudinal position. Hull & Humber wowed the crowds with a win while Spirit of Australia flew their spinnaker to the delight of the tens of thousands of spectators.

Brendan Hall, skipper of the victorious Spirit of Australia team, said, "Finishing in first place feels unbelievable. That was the seminal moment of my sailing career. All the hard work over the past two years and all the hard work of the team over the past ten months is finally recognised in public by everybody. A big thanks to our fantastic peers on the other boats, the people of the City of Hull and all our loved ones here on the pontoon. It's absolutely fantastic and one of the best moments of my life!"

The warmth of the welcome the home team received was overwhelming, according to Hull & Humber's skipper, Justin Taylor. "It's a great feeling. I can't believe it, all these people... it's phenomenal. I'm a little bit overcome with emotion; I don't really know what to make of it, to be honest," he said.

"The crew accepted me and they really pulled together and showed some real grit and I think that's reflected in the results that they achieved after I took over. It's down to them really – I gave them a bit of encouragement and they did the rest. The crew are elated. It's wonderful to be back and I think they're feeling the same way, a bit overcome by the reception we've received here."

The Parachute Regiment's Freefall Display Team, the Red Devils, dropped in as the yachts finished the John Harrison Race and once the yachts had entered the marina the Royal Navy's helicopter display team, the Black Cats, showed their flying prowess.

On stage the teams were called up one by one to be saluted by their supporters, California, in tenth were first up, followed by Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, Cork, Qingdao, Uniquely Singapore and Jamaica Lightning Bolt in fifth place.

Each Clipper yacht is entered by a city, region or country and sponsors use the event to showcase themselves to the world.

Terry Hodgkinson Chairman of Yorkshire Forward which sponsors Hull & Humber and is responsible for bringing the Clipper Race to the Humber, said, "We're here to celebrate these crews' achievements and celebrate this wonderful city and the wider region. They've all done a fantastic job of getting the boats back safely. Clipper has done a wonderful job raising the profile of this area both nationally and internationally and bringing visitors to this fantastic region."

Clipper Race founder and chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo non-stop around the world, said, "We have had fantastic support from the people of this region for this race. I'd like to mention Yorkshire Forward, Welcome to Yorkshire and of course the people of the City of Hull. It's been fantastic, the way you've supported this race right from the start has been heart warming and we're very grateful to you."

Sir Robin had a message for the crews waiting next to the stage. He said, "You've achieved your ambition. You have sailed the oceans of the world, you have seen more of the sea than most people do and you have come through it all. You've come back very experienced sailors and you've achieved something very special in your lives and I'm very, very proud of you.

"I hope you go off now and continue sailing, take some of what you've learned the way you work as a team, back into your lives. Do you remember what I said at the beginning? I want to hear you say, 'That's the best thing I've done with my life' – and then I want to hear you say, 'So far,' because then I know we have widened your horizons."

Doctors, students, teachers, lawyers, engineers and a taxi driver are among the crew members who have succeeded in their challenge. On board each of the ten internationally-backed yachts is just one professional, the skipper, whose role it is to lead the team to victory. The crew members were all amateurs, nearly forty percent of whom had no sailing experience when they embarked on their Clipper Training, before setting off on this adventure ten months ago.

For every crew member this final race is a poignant moment. Sailing around the world is a considerable achievement – more people have climbed Mount Everest than have raced yachts around the world. The fleet's arrival in Hull Marina this afternoon is the climax of this once in a lifetime adventure.

To date more than 2,000 people have become ocean racers by taking part in the Clipper Race and, of these, more than 300 have achieved the rare accolade of becoming a circumnavigator by racing around the world under sail. Eighty-two new circumnavigators have joined the ranks of this exclusive club following the fleet's arrival in Hull today.

FINAL POSITIONS

The final result of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race is:

1 Spirit of Australia 128 points
2 Team Finland 105.3 points
3 Cape Breton Island 104 points
4 Hull & Humber 98 points
5 Jamaica Lightning Bolt 98 points
6 Uniquely Singapore 76 points
7 Qingdao 74 points
8 Cork 56.8 points
9 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 53 points
10 California 42 points

Light winds and a strong tide have forced Cork to anchor in order to avoid being swept backwards, away from the Dutch finish line of the Clipper Round the World Race. Inspite of the set back there are claculations made that Cork, whose crew are racing the shorter, heavier, Challenge 67 as opposed to the Clipper 68s raced by the other nine teams, are in contention for a place on the podium on corrected handicap time.
Wind and tide are a powerful combination and both have played their part in slowing the Clipper 09-10 fleet in their race for the penultimate finish line in their 35,000-mile campaign. Nevertheless another significant milestone has been passed and one that is cause for great celebration as the round the world crew members crossed their outbound track and 'tied the knot' almost ten months since leaving the Humber.
Edinburgh Inspiring Capital's skipper, Matt Pike, describes waiting for the moment on board, saying, "It's hard to think of a more pleasant way of spending a summer Sunday than racing up the Channel under a ballooning spinnaker. That's what we had, back in shorts with a real buzz on deck as to when we would actually cross our outbound track. Tantalisingly close and with a bottle of Benromach 10-year-old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky to mark the occasion, we watched the plotter. Six am was a little early so no problem running a little north parallel to the mark; by lunchtime we were more than ready but still running on a reciprocal course barely half a mile north of the thin red line. California was close and gave us a great reason to raise our game, both boats enjoying such a close sail after so many miles. It finally happened just off Dungeness. We had done it - sailed around the world and opened the Benromach 10-year old to celebrate the moment."
The last 24 hours have demonstrated clearly the forces of nature at work as the Clipper 09-10 fleet races through the English Channel and into the North Sea towards Ijmuiden in The Netherlands.
"Within an hour we were not feeling the benefit of choosing the inshore route as the wind eased away and we were left to the mercy of the tide," continues Matt. "There was a feeling of disappointment in the air as we watched the rest of the fleet sail on past Dover, but in true Edinburgh Inspiring Capital spirit morale stayed high and we reflected on our ten-month odyssey whilst trying to keep California behind us; not easy as they were equally determined to wriggle their way out and around the Dover Straits.
"Well the wind did fill in first from the east, then from the west, followed by a bit of a blow from the south (it's currently northerly) so a busy morning on deck as the wind veers and backs, ranging from three to 43 knots. There is constant activity on deck but even the slickest watch would be hard pushed to keep up with the constant sail changes needed. They do their best and they're good but it is a reminder that the sea is the boss and, in the words of Sir Robin, 'We're not home yet'."
With fewer than 100 miles to the finish of Race 13, never has a statement been so true. The teams are in an extremely busy shipping area at the northerly end of the Dover Traffic Separation Scheme - the equivalent of a six-lane highway where cargo ships, tankers and bulk carriers, some so vast their length shows on AIS in fractions of a mile, plough at great into and out of the English Channel.
Combined with the close racing and the vagaries of the weather, it means there's not much rest for those on board. Justin Taylor, skipper of Hull & Humber is sparing with his words in his 0600 report to the Race Office.
"Been having a real ding dong with several yachts. Ran out of wind off Dover. Electrical storm right now. No sleep yet. Lots of traffic. Zero visibility. But other than that it's all good in the right direction now."
The Hull & Humber team will be hoping orange is a luckier colour for them than it was for the Dutch football team in South Africa last night. A good result on this race will keep them in contention for a place on the final podium when they return home in five days' time.
Despite blowing their medium weight spinnaker yesterday Team Finland is currently leading the race to Ijmuiden and there are three disappointed Dutch crew members on board. Consolation for them will be a home port victory of sorts, if they can maintain their lead and take line honours in the race to Ijmuiden.
The final positions will not be known until all ten boats have completed the race and the IRC handicap rating is applied to the finishing times. Cork, whose crew are racing the shorter, heavier, Challenge 67 as opposed to the Clipper 68s raced by the other nine teams, are in contention for a place on the podium on corrected time. However the current light winds they are experiencing, combined with an adverse tide, have forced the Irish boat to anchor near the Thanet wind farm in order to avoid being swept backwards, away from the finish line.
Such occurrences are rare, the last example was on departure from Qingdao in the Clipper 07-08 race when the entire ten-boat fleet had to anchor overnight in zero wind and a tide that was threatening to sweep them back to the Olympic Sailing Centre they had left just hours earlier.
Wind holes were a feature of the last night, Cape Breton Island's skipper Jan Ridd reporting around 2100 GMT that he and his team were in extremely light and fluky winds which had slowed their charge for the line to a snail's pace.
Pete Rollason, California's skipper, says it's a similar situation on board the American boat, although they are moving again this morning.
"What a race, after a light wind night where the fleet was really being pushed around by the tides and going nowhere fast, the wind has filled in and we are now involved in a tacking battle with the first six boats with only about four miles separating us all. The rain has passed and it looks like it is back to summer. Hopefully if this wind continues we can make Ijmuiden by early evening."
Spirit of Australia's crew are likely to secure overall victory on this race and are edging closer to it all the time. They need just one point to take the title but are still pushing to add another pennant to their already overflowing forestay, although, says skipper Brendan Hall, it's a fine balancing act.
"Close fleet racing is an exciting but nerve wracking time. Fortunes change with every sched. Six hours ago we were in the lead, now we are in sixth. It is very good to know that our overall position does not hinge on the outcome of one of these short races, where nine months of hard work can be undone with one breakage, unlucky decision or wrong sail choice," he says.
The wind is due to fill in a little later today and the first yachts are expected in the Ijmuiden Seaport Marina tonight.

 

With just 550-miles in which to prove themselves in the short sprintrace to Ijmuiden in The Netherlands, Race 13 promises to be an exciting edge of the seat battle between the ten Clipper teams. The Cork team is now back into the old routine of trying their best to keep their heavier Challenge 67 in touch with the rest of the fleet. Still in with achance of getting an overall podium position as they arrive back intheir home port on 17 July, Hull & Humber has taken one step closer totheir goal by managing to take an early lead. In his report to the race office this morning, the team's skipper, Justin Taylor, explains why hebelieves they have managed to edge ahead.

"We were going to be early for the start so I luffed the boat up head towind to slow right down and, although we managed to hold it for quiteawhile, we inadvertently tacked the yacht and had to start on port tack- heading straight for the rocks at Weaver's Point. Once at full speedwe tacked the yacht on to starboard and crossed the line, not too farbehind the first three yachts.  However, we did end up as the windwardyacht with all the advantages this brings and we soon found ourselves in the lead.
"After an early headsail change down to the Yankee 2, we reached thefirst mark of the course in fourth but there was only the width of acigarette paper between us all. All the other yachts were flying theirbig Yankee 1s and our smaller sail plan seemed to pay off as we pulledaway from the fleet. An early reef to the main only seemed to increaseour speed and pointing ability. The crew have been great at adding smallgains to small gains and we now find ourselves approximately three milesahead of the nearest yacht. 
"Unfortunately, we will be rounding Land's End on a foul tide and how wenegotiate that will either see our lead increase or diminish."  
Although the Irish coastline has now disappeared over the horizon, fondmemories of their recent stopover in Kinsale and Cork will remain with all the teams, none more so than with the crew of the local entry. 
"What an amazing reception we received in both Kinsale and the City of Cork, a huge thank you to all for making us feel so welcome andextending us such enjoyable hospitality," says Cork's skipper HannahJenner. "The crew are now getting back into life aboard - life at anangle, which is not something we have experienced in a while, at leastnot sober anyway!  We are making good speeds towards Lands End at themoment which we hope to round in the morning and back into the tacticalwaters of the English Channel."
Having enjoyed the pursuit race format across the Atlantic, the Cork team is now back into the old routine of trying their best to keep their heavier Challenge 67 in touch with the rest of the fleet. "Let's hopethe forecast for light winds along the south coast of the UK is wrong!"says Hannah, knowing full well from their recent Atlantic leg that Cork performs best in stronger conditions. 
The short race course through the English Channel means that all thecrews will have to keep on their toes - there will be no time to recoverfrom mistakes and sail damage is something they can ill afford. With somany boats in close proximity and the competition fierce it's easy tosee how mistakes could be made. 
California's skipper, Pete Rollason, says, "Since our departureyesterday evening, the racing has been very tight, as you would expect,and as we approach the Scilly Isles we have eight other boats in sightof us. The crew have been working incredibly hard in some lively weatherconditions to pull us up to third or fourth place which will set us upnicely for the entrance to the English Channel and hopefully a nicesunshine filled run down these familiar waters."
With Clipper's UK training base located in Gosport on the south coast,the waters of the English Channel are well-known to all the teams and itwon't be long before the familiar coastline comes into sight as theyround the southern tip of Cornwall.
"As dawn breaks now we find ourselves back in UK waters with theexciting prospect of glimpsing the green and pleasant land soon afterbreakfast," says Qingdao's skipper, Chris Stanmore-Major. "It is odd tobe back in an area that is so familiar to many of us after circling theglobe these past ten months - I could barely believe my ears when Iheard Falmouth Coastguard providing the weather update. Land's End andthe turn into the English Channel is our immediate goal and we feel wellplaced to make a good showing in this race. Can we beat our short racecurse?  I assure you there are 16 people out here trying very hard to."
Meanwhile, on board Uniquely Singapore there is also a crew tryingequally hard - especially as there are only two points separating theteam from their Asian rivals on the overall leaderboard. 
Skipper, Jim Dobie, says, "Straight into it and what a night with asteady Force 6 or so - good boat speed but a little unusual as its beena while since we have sailed upwind. It was with very sad hearts as weleft Cork and Kinsale as the crew had had such a fantastic time with thegreat food, the hospitality and of course the partying. But we are nowfirmly focussed on the rest of the race and gain as many points as wecan. We're currently in sixth place with Qingdao just behind us and Hull& Humber still beatable - it makes these last two races as important asever."

The penultimate race of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race is underway. At 1700 local time (1600 GMT) the cannon fired from the Royal Cork Yacht Club's start line at Weaver's Point near Crosshaven at the mouth of Cork Harbour to set the teams on their way in the 550-mile race to Ijmuiden, Holland.

In wet and overcast conditions with a breeze of 15 knots from the south, the fleet got off to a flying start. Uniquely Singapore was first to cross the start line, closely followed by Spirit of Australia, whose crew has vowed to race hard for another podium finish, despite needing just one more point to clinch overall victory. Cape Breton Island was just a couple of boat lengths behind them, as Hull & Humber, Jamaica Lightning Bolt, California, Team Finland, Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, Qingdao and Cork began the long beat towards the Land's End and the Scilly Isles, where they will turn into the familiar waters of the English Channel.

Earlier thousands of people turned out in Cork to bid farewell to the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race fleet.

Cork sails away from home tonight on the penulitmate leg of its round the world journey

The departure ceremony got underway with a rousing performance by the Band of the 1st Southern Command on the main stage before the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Michael O'Connell officially said goodbye on behalf of the city.

"The rain has never dampened the spirit of Cork people before and it certainly won't dampen us today. We're all absolutely delighted that the race and the boats have brought so much happiness to the people of Cork over the last days. If you saw them in their full sail as they came up the river the other day it was absolutely outstanding. I'm sure that the people of Cork will wish them well on their journey to Holland and to the finish next week in Hull. It has been an absolutely tremendous time here in the city.

"We would like to say thanks to our Cork boat and skipper Hannah Jenner – they have given us enormous pride since they arrived here and over the last couple of months as well. We wish them very well now on their voyage over to Holland over the next couple of days.

"And I want to thank everybody for coming down here today for giving such a massive send off."

On stage Cork skipper Hannah Jenner recalled the welcome the team received arriving in Kinsale 12 days ago. "It has been one of the best moments of my sailing career to get such support from everybody and it has continued here into Cork City, so let's hope we can get a good result in the next two races. We have had a brilliant time and I know that all of us and our friends and families who came to visit will be back in our own time in the future to continue to enjoy such a great city."

Spirit of Australia is likely to secure the Clipper 09-10 title on this race and Brendan Hall, skipper of the Australian entry, says they're going to be racing as hard as ever.

"We've got our eye on the major prize in Hull. I've talked with the team and we've decided these last two races we're not strictly racing for points because we don't need a huge number of them anymore but we're doing it for pride. We're doing it because we want to finish this race in the style we started it and we're going to be putting it all in so we can look at ourselves in the mirror at the end and say we couldn't have done anything more."

The Cork Clipper project is funded by Fáilte Ireland, Cork City Council and Cork County Council with the principal objective of promoting Cork as a tourism and business destination around the world.

45,000 people attended the festival in Kinsale last weekend and tens of thousands more have visited the Cork Clipper Festival over the last three, enjoying the food and culture of Ireland's gourmet capital and the craic of the city named by Lonely Planet as one of the top ten in the world to visit.

As he prepared to leave the dockside, Brendan said, "I loved Kinsale, it was a really friendly, warm welcome and Cork has been an amazing party as well – it's a shame we didn't have a little longer here but Holland calls."

The race to Ijmuiden is expected to take three to four days and the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race will finish on the Humber on Saturday 17 July.

After a thrilling week of festivities the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Fleet has left Cork to begin the final leg of the race. The Clipper Fleet left Port of Cork City Marina in a Parade of Sail at 13.30 today with a Clipper Fleet Departure Ceremony with The Band of the 1st Southern Brigade and Lord Mayor Cllr Michael O'Connell presiding over the farewell proceedings.

At the ceremony he said "We would like to say thanks to our Cork Yacht and Skipper Hannah Jenner- they have given us enormous pride since they arrived here and over the last couple of months as well. We wish them very well now on their voyage over to Holland over the next few days. And I want to thank everybody for coming down here today for giving such a massive send off".

It has been a hugely successful week for the Cork Clipper Festival which saw official attendance figures reaching 25,000 on Wednesday and 20,000 visitors on Thursday. Friday's Festival Finale was an appropriate fanfare farewell which saw Cork's own global internet sensation Crystal Swing entertain a packed crowd at the main stage at the Race Village before The Walls closed the curtain on an amazing week of live music entertainment.

Listen to Cork Skipper Hannah Jenner on our special Cork Podcast HERE

Cork Clipper Festival goers are in for a treat this week as the festival moves to Cork from Kinsale from Wednesday 7th July to the festival finale on Friday 9th July.

Fiona Bolger and Maria Moynihan-Lee, the same team behind the hugely successful Galway Volvo Ocean Race, have been the creative forces behind the Cork Clipper Festival which is expected to generate €10m in the local economy with 100,000 visitors expected.
The Clipper Fleet will leave Kinsale Harbour in a Parade of Sail at 11 am and will be visible from several Cork coastal areas passing Cobh between 2.30 and 3.30 and festival organizers have urged coastal dwellers and visitors to secure a good vantage point to wave at the nautical heroes who have circumnavigated the globe.

The yachts are expected into the Port of Cork City Marina at 5pm and the people of Cork are invited to welcome the Clipper Fleet at the Race Village on Albert Quay. After this weekend's fantastic festivities in Kinsale the Clippers' welcome to the Port of Cork is expected to be even bigger with the Race Village opening daily from 10 am until 10.30 am featuring live music and entertainment.
Ballymaloe Country Relish will greet the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race with freshly made sandwiches prepared in Ballymaloe House. Locally sourced fillings including glazed ham from Cormac O'Connor in Mayfield, roast turkey from Nora Ahern in Midleton, Imokilly Cheddar, homemade mayonnaise, Robyn Allen's organic salads, Ballymaloe Country Relish and Cranberry Sauce will be placed on Ballymaloe brown and white yeast breads and will be offered to the sailors as they arrive ashore. Over 60 concession stands will be situated in the Race Village providing festival goers with specialist retail, food, drink and craft stalls.
Some famous Cork names will appear as part of the celebrations with John Spillane headlining on the main stage on at 8.45pm Wednesday night and Cork's chart-toppers Fred appearing at 8.45pm on Thursday night. The festival will be closed by finale headliners Crystal Swing at 7pm and The Walls at 8pm on Friday night.

Pwllheli's RNLI all weather lifeboat was launched on Monday evening to assist a yacht which was drifting towards the shore.

The 37ft vessel with two people on board suffered engine failure around a mile south of the town and an attempt was made to lay the anchor but the rope entangled in the propellor.The lifeboat was launched soon after 10pm after flares were sighted being fired from the yacht.

A strong south westerly wind was pushing the yacht towards Gimblet Rock and it was around half a mile from the rock when located by the all weather lifeboat. The vessel, which was on passage from Pwllheli to Cork, was towed to the marina by the RNLI lifeboat.

Cork is edging closer to the Kinsale finish line tonight. Photos of Cork passing Cape Clear in West Cork below are courtesy of afloat.ie reader Richard O'Flynn. All being well it looks as though Cork will have the honour of leading the Clipper 09-10 round the world yacht race fleet into her home port.

 

The strong winds of a low pressure system tracking its way across the north Atlantic are helping to speed the fleet towards Kinsale.

Cork's crew are hoping that that they will win the coveted yellow pennant for first place in this race. With 850 miles to go they need to hold off the other nine teams if they are to step on the podium.Hannah Jenner, Cork's skipper, says, "We've had a lively day fast reaching under full main, staysail and number 1 yankee.

We are now waiting for the stronger winds of the low to arrive and hoping that the rest of the fleet, who will get the new wind first, do not make too many miles on us.  It is funny how at the beginning of the race, having 1,000 miles to go seemed like an eternity for the crews and yet now that Cork has sailed within the 1,000 mile mark we all feel as if the finish line is just around the corner.

Still we are the fox and the hounds are chasing hard, there will be a lot of hard work involved in these final 1,000 miles if we are to keep them at bay."The unknown quantity at this stage is Spirit of Australia. "Well, we have cashed in what will be our last Stealth Mode token of Clipper 09-10 round the world yacht race," reports Brendan Hall. Will we emerge from Stealth having made a bold and inspired tactical move or emerge exactly where you would expect us to be? Avid race viewer fans can probably guess the answer, but check back at 1200 GMT to see if you are right."Whether there are many tactical options open to Brendan and his crew is a matter for debate.

The bottom of the low pressure system is running along the rhumb line and all ten yachts are taking advantage of it."We are achieving some great speeds with lots of surfing," says Hull & Humber's skipper, Justin Taylor. "Despite the weather this is turning out to be a fitting swan song for many of the crew. One final downwind blast for the final ocean crossing as we have latched onto the bottom of a depression and hopefully will carry these strong winds right to Ireland. Unfortunately this will make it difficult to catch Cork Clipper but we are slowly eating into their lead."Due to the excellent progress the fleet has made, if the current conditions persist the first yachts are expected to arrive earlier than first estimated.

The majority of the fleet is now anticipated to reach Kinsale on Tuesday 29 June, with the possibility of earliest arrivals on Monday 28 June.In Kinsale, an exciting array of entertainment is planned including local and national circus acts and musicians, food and craft markets and live music at Kinsale Square which will feature Aaron Dillon and Band, Ian Whitty and The Exchange and a Cork and Cape Breton outdoor Ceili! On Wednesday 07 July the fleet will make its way in a parade of sail to Cork City.

To celebrate the Cork Clipper’s homecoming in style Albert Quay beside the Custom House will be transformed into a Race Village for three days from 10am to 10pm daily with food, drinks and crafts stalls. The main stage will host musical acts daily including John Spillane, Fred, The Walls and Crystal Swing.The Cork Clipper project is funded by Fáilte Ireland, Cork City Council and Cork County Council with the principal objective of promoting Cork as a tourism and business destination around the world.