In 2012 Derry-Londonderry will host the homecoming leg of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2011/2012. Plans are already well in place to celebrate this achievement and we aim to transform the city into a huge Maritime Festival between June 29th – 8th July 2012.

Sunday 26th February was much warmer than previous weeks and the wind was just strong enough so that there was the odd capsize but nothing to major that our sailors would not be able to handle it. The wind shifted a lot to start with from going from the south west through to the south east. Nevertheless the race got underway from the north east mark and the course was course 4 to begin with.

The weather just keeps getting better for us on Sundays. This week it looked like there would be no breeze at all and yet it filled in just in time for us to launch and in the end it was great racing. Good numbers in all fleets made it a spectacle for those watching from the shore. Even Johnny Webb came down to cast his eye over proceedings, but only after getting a top 10 finish in a bike race during the morning. Maybe he wanted to make sure we all knew about THAT rather than his amazement at the numbers of boats on the water, whatever.... it was great to see him back in the dingy park.

Ballyholme and Royal Ulster Yacht Club sailor, James Espey has been campaigning to go to the Olympics in Weymouth this summer. As part of his campaign he is hosting a Fundraising Day Saturday 18 February at BYC. This will include a day of coaching and racing, then and an evening party. The coaching will be taken by James him self and a guest coach. All the top Laser sailors will be racing – come along and pace yourself against the best Laser sailors in the Northern Ireland.