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FÁILTE IRELAND IS encouraging people to get out of bed in the wee hours of the morning and gather in Galway to welcome the Volvo Ocean Race back to Ireland this week.
Fáilte Ireland is the port partner for the grand finale of the Volvo Ocean Race and has put out a nationwide call to encourage the people of Ireland to gather in Galway to welcome the participants back to the country.
The teams will have have travelled 39,000 nautical miles around the world to finally make it to Galway.
Groupama
On the way to Galway is a fleet of six boats, each with eleven crew-members. They are travelling from the Breton city of Lorient.
Kerryman Damian Foxall is serving as watch leader (the overall race leader) on French entry Groupama, which is currently the overall race leader.
This is Foxall’s eighth race around the world but he admitted he is nervous about winning in front of a home crowd.
It’s our race to lose and anything but overall victory would be a disaster for us. It is totally possible to lose the race from here.
Foxall said that the final is “going to be big.”
Throughout the race, the sailors and shore-teams who were in Galway last time have all be talking about their incredible experience there. We’re all aware of the extraordinary effort being made in Ireland this time so we’re looking forward to it.
Set your alarms
Those looking to welcome the fleet will have to set their alarm clocks early – or just not go to bed at all, as the estimated arrival time of the fleet is between 12am and 3am tomorrow, Tuesday July 3.
The vantage points at Galway’s Quayside are where people are encouraged to give the teams a huge céad míle fáilte. If travelling to Galway for midnight is not possible for you, you can watch the finale (while in your pyjamas) streamed live on www.volvooceanrace.com.
Information on the race has been transmitted in real time through a dedicated Twitter account, Galway Buoy. The eight-metre high buoy is fitted with multiple environmental sensors and electronic transceivers in order to give the most detailed updates on how it is progressing.
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It’s great to see such a fanatastic event have it’s finale in Galway after 39,000 around the globe. Great for the city and great for the country. Long may it last!
Cmon Galway.
Live feed incl great streaming of Fastnet rounding 30 mins ago! http://Www.volvooceanrace.com/fr/home.html
Arrival Galway quite early at that speed! Can’t wait!
According to local press there now due in between 9-10 pm!
yeh their just by fastnet now..
What a great boost to our country of such a high profile event well done Galway for pulling it off they always do a great festival for any occasion :)
Off Topic Here but Why have the Journal locked the comments section on the article regarding Murdoch’s tweets about Scientology? Are the Journal fearful of Scientology’s backlash?? Very Strange!
http://www.thejournal.ie/rupert-murdoch-scientology-twitter-tom-cruise-katie-holmes-506464-Jul2012/
Back on Topic… Go Volvo Ocean Ma Jiggy!!! :)
Gaillimh Abu! Well done to Groupama and to the 100,000 people who were there at 3am to see the ships come in. Epic turnout, epic event!
And no word about Derry’s Clipper Maritime festival? Nordies are not important?
Meanwhile the IT reports “In a significant schedule shift, President Michael D Higgins will welcome all six skippers on the public stage in Galway docks at 8pm tomorrow, rather than at the ticket-only event for which the festival organisers had programmed him.” Yet again the local gombeen men are trying to extract the last cent from the public while posing as philantrophists!
And Michael D wasn’t having any of it!!!! Wespect!
Best of luck to Damien – a fantastic ambassador for Ireland!
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