Derry team clinch victory ahead of Clipper homecoming

The crew of the Derry Clipper yacht will be greeted with a hero's welcome tomorrow after they clinched the top spot in the latest leg of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in a nail-biting finish.

Provisional results indicate that the Derry Londonderry Doire yacht clinched the top spot in the Atlantic race when racing finished at 1pm today.

It means the Derry team have broken the so-called 'home port curse', and will now lead the fleet as it arrives up the River Foyle from Greencastle tomorrow.

It brings to an end to Race 14, the 2,850 mile leg from New York City to Derry, which at some stages saw just 20 miles separate the top six boats.

At one stage, the Derry yacht was in second place, trailing the Team Garmin yacht by a mile before regaining the lead.

Commenting, the skiper of Derry Londonderry Doire, Sean McCarter said: "Yesterday didn't begin very well. We thought we had a reasonably good run during the six hours leading up to the 6am schedule and were excited to see how we fared against Team Garmin, Jamaica Get All Right and PSP Logistics.

"The excitement quickly turned to heart-sinking dread when we saw they had all out-performed us yet again in what should have been lighter conditions for them. We were in second place for the first time in over a week, trailing Team Garmin by a mile or so."

However, the Derry crew, pictured above with the Mayor Brenda Stevenson in New York, will receive a rapturous welcome with thousands of people expected to line the quay as the yacht arrives into the Foyle Marina at around lunchtime tomorrow.