Clipper crew member Gerard Doherty ‘proud to stand here as a Derry man’

There were extra special cheers for Gerard at the special prizegiving event held on the quay on Wednesday evening, where the local man was even named his crew’s winner for the ‘Spirit of a Derry Girl’ award.

In nominating Gerard, his crew told how he has represented and promoted the city of Derry ‘since day one’. They said he was always talking about the history of, and his great love for, his home city.

Speaking to host Mark Patterson on stage, Gerard said that he had the ‘most amazing day’ on his return to Derry, with a fantastic response from his family, friends and the people of the city.

“The welcome I received from the city was outstanding and I am proud to stand here as a Derry man and say we are a magnificent city.”

Gerard paid tribute to the ‘magnificent skipper’ and crew of the Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam and said they ‘all worked hard to deliver the goods and get to Derry’.

When asked about his vision for the city for the coming years, Gerard said: “We have to build on our strengths and our strengths are our people and their ability, their enterprise, their imagination to bring the city on. We must leave the past behind and move forward. My beautiful daughters have never seen soldiers in the street, they don’t know the difference in Catholic and Protestant. Unfortunately that’s the way I grew up but they don’t, they are looking to the future and looking to the city to build it as a great place for us.”

Gerard, a retired company director, is sailing more than 15,000nm on Legs 6, 7 and 8. Gerard is now enjoying a long week at home with his delighted family before he sets off on the final race to London. The eleven multi-nation Clipper Race crews are led by professional skippers and first mates, ranging in age from 18-70+ years old. The sailing event recently celebrated 25 years since its first edition in 1996.