Pride as Derry boat wins final Clipper chase

The crew of the Derry-Londonderry-Doire Clipper boat celebrate after finishing first in the final race from Den Helder to London.

Derry's Clipper boat ended their epic Round the World yacht race as victors in the final leg at the weekend.

The crew of the Derry~Londonderry~Doire narrowly missed out on taking the coveted first place in the overall race but finished second to LMAX Exchange, with just four points in it.

The Mayor of Derry Hilary McClintock was among those at St Katharine Docks in London to cheer the Derry crews over the finish line.

Mayor McClintock greeted Skipper Daniel Smith and his crew as they reached dry land.

She said: “It was an emotional moment watching the fleet making its way into London in a blaze of colour on Saturday.

“It has been such an adventure for the crew and they have certainly done the city proud throughout the race.

“Daniel and his team have been fantastic ambassadors for the city and we had the opportunity to show our appreciation during the Foyle Maritime Festival which was such a success for the city in July, attended by 160,000 people.

“I just want to thank them again on behalf of all our citizens for their stoic efforts throughout the Race, and for allowing us to share in the excitement and emotion of their journey.”

The Derry Clipper team secured seven podium finishes throughout the course of the gruelling 40,000 nautical mile race around the world. This included a total of four race wins and three second places.