The home port entry taking part in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race is due to arrive in Derry-Londonderry this morning. The Northern Irish entry crossed the finish line at 04:22 BST local time this morning and is on schedule to arrive into the city at 11am.

    Thousands of family, friends and spectators are expected to line the River Foyle in anticipation of the yacht’s arrival at Foyle Marina.

    Dutch entry De Lage Landen crossed the finish line early this morning at 02:10 BST local arrived in Derry-Londonderry around 8am this morning. Stuart Jackson, the skipper of the Dutch entry describes his Atlantic crossing and delight at arriving in Derry-Londonderry, “That was our last Atlantic crossing but for many people it was also their first ocean crossing. It has been a huge experience for the crew, especially as we were competing with a tropical storm at the same time.”

    Meanwhile, Qingdao has now run into light winds and has been officially finished in tenth place. The Chinese entry will now motor in but will still continue to be shown as ‘Racing’ on the Race Viewer, allowing their DTF (Distance to Finish) to be calculated.

    Derry-Londonderry will be the inaugural UK City of Culture in 2013 and has organised a full programme of events during the ‘Clipper Race Homecoming Festival’. The Clipper Race crew members will enjoy a week of cultural visits, concerts and excursions, allowing them to soak up the unique Northern Irish culture and hospitality during their stay. More details of the festival can be found here.

    Above: photograph of Derry-Londonderry this morning as the team crossed the finish line.