The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race crews have received their awards from Race 14 on a packed Derry quay.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy, performed the official presentations in the Foyle Maritime Festival village where the stage winners were officially announced by event host, BBC presenter Mark Patterson.
As well as the sailing results from their Atlantic crossing, each team nominated an honorary Derry Girl award winner for displaying the qualities of the hit Channel 4 sitcom.
“It was a proud moment for me as a Derry girl to recognise the outstanding achievements of the Clipper crews on the penultimate stage of their journey around the globe,” said Mayor Duffy.
“The event was a great opportunity to honour the crews performance during their challenging ocean crossing and for the public to meet the crews and welcome them to our city.
“It was an ideal way to begin the festival in earnest and I can promise all the crews an experience they will never forget over the coming days.”
Dubbed the LegenDerry Finale, Race 14 was an action-packed sail of over 3,000nm across the North Atlantic Ocean from New York to Lough Foyle.
The race broke the record for the fastest ever crossing of the North Atlantic Ocean in Clipper Race history, even with an added course extension up to Rockall and St. Kilda which offered a bumpy ride of extreme weather and a chance for teams to get tactical.
The city’s own Gerard Doherty was among the winners of the Derry Girls award for his role on board the Ha Long Bay Vietnam vessel.
The stage was won by the GoToBermuda crew with WTC Logistics claiming the runner up spot and the Unicef yacht finishing third.
The Foyle Maritime Festival continues until Sunday July 24th when the boats leave for the final stage of their journey which ends at Royal Albert Dock in London.
For full details of the Foyle Maritime Festival visit: foylemaritime.com
