Dire weather and a rapturous welcome fro the Derry-Londonderry

In the last of three videos from Sunday’s early morning return of the Derry-Londonderry, Sentinel reporter Olga Bradshaw captures the jubilant atmosphere and dire weather which greeted the Derry-Londonderry team as they passed Greencastle and entered Lough Foyle on Sunday.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Jul 2012, 14:12 BST

The Derry-Londonderry has taken pride of place in the new £1 million marina on the quayside, having arrived home to a rapturous reception after completing the final ocean crossing of the race. It was a tough 2,350 mile upwind battle across the North Atlantic Ocean.

Derry-Londonderry crossed the finish line at 0422 local time, arriving in Derry-Londonderry just before midday after 15 tough days at sea.The crew were treated to a heroes’ welcome by thousands of spectators, friends and family who lined the quayside. The team was ninth to cross the finish line and was escorted up the Foyle by a flotilla of ships eager to catch a glimpse of the transatlantic crew.

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John Harkin, a round the world crew member from Derry-Londonderry described his feelings at returning home after nearly a year at sea, “It’s just been so overwhelming. This is by far the best reception we have had during this race. Thousands of people have come out today to welcome us home; we feel like rock stars!”

Mark Light, the skipper of the Derry-Londonderry yacht described the conditions and his elation at arriving in Derry-Londonderry: “We had a really tough race. The Atlantic was never going to be an easy crossing but when tropical storm Chris developed we had even more to contend with. We had a few minor injuries, some seasickness, but everyone pulled together as a team and made it work.

“It’s extremely overwhelming arriving in Derry-Londonderry after looking forward to coming here for so long,” said Mark.

With just two races left until the Clipper 11-12 Race finishes in Southampton on Sunday, July 22, the top of the overall leader board has never been tighter. Currently in eighth place, the Derry-Londonderry team members are focusing on improving their position on the leader board.

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John Harkin was joined by his daughter Jodie in New York for the last leg of the Clipper Race. He described the tough Atlantic Ocean crossing.

“It was a really, really tough race. This is my third ocean crossing and it was a relentless battle day after day. We had a lot of new crew join us in New York, everyone worked so hard I couldn’t fault anyone for their effort. Obviously we would have liked to have got a better result, but for me it’s about completing a journey, and here I am,” he said.

To welcome the international fleet of racing yachts a full programme of events is being staged during a 10-day festival, the ‘Clipper Race Homecoming Festival’. The crew members will enjoy a week of cultural visits, concerts and excursions allowing them to soak up the atmosphere and culture during their stay.

The penultimate race, an 800-mile sprint from Derry-Londonderry to Den Helder in the Netherlands, will start on Saturday, July 7.