Danny Bryce getting ready for his return hom after his trans-Atlantic adventure with the crew of the Derry-Doire clipper
AN emotional welcome awaits Danny Bryce when the Derry clipper arrives in his home port tomorrow, Wednesday, on the penultimate leg of the Clipper 2015-16 Round the World Yacht Race.
Danny’s wife Leeann and their daughters Aine (7) and Aoife (3) will be among hundreds of supporters expected to throng the quayside from breakfast time to cheer on the home team with #crewpurple T-shirts, flags and banners.
The Derry clipper boat is expected to berth in the city around 8 am.
There will also be four other recent seafarers among the well-wishers as Danny is one of five locals to take part in the Clipper Race through the ‘Your Next Chapter’ bursary scheme thanks to the three-time race partner, Derry City and Strabane District Council.
Three of the bursary winners, Jilly St John, David Pollock and Conor Shortland, were part of the Council sponsored scheme that saw them embark on an exciting sailing adventure across the world, while Shane Brunker and Danny Bryce were recipients of the Clipper Race’s Voice of the Community Scheme, representing the community sector on board the DLD.
All of the bursary recipients have said that taking part in the Clipper Race – a record breaking 40,000 nautical miles around the world on a 70-foot ocean racing yacht – has been a life-changing experience.
Jilly St John, who returned home a few weeks ago after completing the Seattle to New York leg through the Panama Canal said:
“I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. I don’t want it to end and I’m currently chasing up job offers and opportunities offered to me in the US.
“Where I’ll be this time next year who knows, but I hope to be somewhere in the world spreading the word about our beautiful city, hopefully working in the maritime business whilst still blogging, singing and doing yoga, living the dream basically!
“I’m very much looking forward to welcoming the Derry crew and the fleet as a whole into Derry for the homecoming and Foyle Maritime Festival. I hope Danny’s journey has been everything he wanted and more. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
Shane Brunker, who is now based in Frankfurt, is looking forward to being in Derry just in time to see the home crew set sail on the final leg of the race to Den Helder in the Netherlands where the fleet will assemble before the final sprint finish into London.
Shane, hailed a local hero for making a difference to the lives of others in the community through his volunteer work, sailed from Qingdao in China with the DLD crew on a 5,700 mile journey over 30 days to Seattle in America.
Speaking this week he said: “Leg 6 was a challenge even by Clipper Race standards. l will be in Derry just in time to see the boat off. I remember being moved by the Derry supporters cheering us out of Qingdao so l aim to repay the debt by giving them a good send-off. It will be great seeing everybody again.”
Shane, who is now working with German Youth Hostels providing adventure learning programmes, said: “I’ve always been a bit of wanderer, but l suppose you could say it has reinforced the belief that travel is a great educator and good for the soul. I have been invited to crew on a German boat next year in and around Majorca. It’s the same size as a Clipper boat but definitely will be a lot less rigorous!”
The baton was passed to Shane in Qingdao by Conor Shortland who raced from Australia to China via Vietnam.
He said: “I can’t wait to see the Derry boat arrive down the Foyle into its home port. It’ll bring back all the great memories from when I was racing earlier in the year. It will also be great to see the friends that I’ve made on the Race and, of course see Danny get the hero’s welcome he deserves.”
Conor, who hopes to use what he’s learned to start a career in business and marketing, added: “I’ve gained so much life experience from the whole event and I’ll definitely take the confidence that I’ve gained from it to everything I do in the future. Best thing that’s ever happened to me without a doubt.”
David Pollock, who was the first of the five bursary recipients to compete in the Australian Coast to Coast Leg of the Race, said he can’t wait to welcome back the home team. He added: “Before taking part in the Clipper 2015-16 Race I was unemployed and always had dead end jobs, things I wouldn’t have been able to make a career out of, but it made me really start focusing on getting a career for myself.
“In Leg 4 you get to see so much of Australia. I’d never been to Australia before but it was on my bucket list to go and sailing into Sydney Harbour and past the Opera House was a huge highlight.”
Speaking before leaving New York two weeks ago, Danny Bryce said: “Everyone has been so supportive, but I know that the most difficult thing for me will be leaving my family behind. So the fact that I will be coming back into Derry for a homecoming welcome is a real bonus.
“I have two beautiful daughters aged seven and three, so they have been really great encouraging me, and I’ve been focusing on making preparations for them while I’m away. But it will be an emotional homecoming knowing that they will be waiting for me here on the quayside.”
After a week-long celebration at home Danny will get back on board DLD to race to Den Helder and on to London for a spectacular Parade of Sail up the River Thames on 30 July.
Helena Hasson, Clipper Race Project Officer with Derry City and Strabane District Council, said she’s delighted that the bursary scheme has been such a positive experience for all five recipients.
“The city is really geared up to welcome the 12-strong Clipper Race fleet on Wednesday and what promises to be a LegenDerry finale for our own home team set against the magnificent backdrop of the Foyle Maritime Festival which will run from July 9-17.”
For more details on all the Festival events, visit www.foylemaritimefestival.com
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