WATCH: First of Clipper Race fleet 2022 arrives into Derry

The Bermuda team have arrived in time for this weekend’s Legenderry Street Food Festival along the quay, which will be followed by the Foyle Maritime Festival next week.

Derry man Gerard Doherty and eight other non-professional sailors from Ireland and Northern Ireland are among the eleven teams who have taken on the challenge of a lifetime, battling the most challenging conditions in a 40,000 nautical mile (nm) race for glory across the globe.

This year marks the tenth year of partnership between the Clipper Race and the city, and the fifth time the event’s fleet will be a key feature of the internationally renowned Foyle Maritime Festival, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people to the City from July 20-24.

Looking ahead to the first arrivals on Wednesday, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy, said: “There’s a real sense of anticipation building ahead of the Clipper Race arrivals which have now been confirmed for Wednesday morning onwards. The first sign of the yachts as they make their way up the Foyle generates a huge buzz and the crew can expect a tremendous reception when they step on to the Quayside.