Galway awaits as Volvo race fleet 'rockets downwind'

AS THE colour and excitement builds in Galway ahead of the arrival of the Volvo Ocean race this weekend, the fleet was yesterday reported to be “rocketing downwind” across the Atlantic.

The advancing flotilla is being led by Delta Lloyd, which has strong Limerick connections.

Meteorologists believe that most of the race crews will make Galway Bay in time to witness the opening of the festival with mayor of Galway Pádraig Conneely (FG) on Sunday night.

Yesterday Telefonica Black,which was lying in third place, had an encounter with a large turtle but managed to free it from its keel. Race organisers reported that the crew dropped the spinnaker on the foredeck, pointed the bow into the wind and sailed the boat backwards with the help of a staysail.

The turtle, which had been propelled at a speed of 13 knots (24km/h) on the yacht’s keel during the brief experience, was freed unharmed.

An approaching cold front is set to slow the fleet’s progress, strung out over a distance of 64km (40 miles) by yesterday afternoon – some 1,300 nautical miles away.

Dr Mark White of Nowcasting Weather, which is providing forecasting for the Galway stopover through its initiative, askmoby.com, said that some of the fleet could still round Aran island Inis Oírr and appear in the bay by Sunday morning.

“The fastest yachts were averaging 21 knots yesterday, and even if they slow down to 16 knots, they could still be here by Sunday afternoon,” Dr White said. The Ennis-based forecasting company is predicting southwesterly winds of force four on Sunday. This would allow the fleet to run in on spinnakers to the Mutton Island finishing line and Galway docks, making for a spectacular arrival.

Let’s Do It Galway, host for the Irish stopover for the next fortnight, will provide up-to-date arrival information on its website, galwayvolvooceanrace.com, and communications manager Fiona Bolger said that the opening ceremony would take place on Sunday “regardless”.

The two-week festival will have a large number of free events,including live music, children’s events, and an art-trail, while the Connacht 420 dinghy championships take place in the bay over the weekend.

The dockside race village opens tomorrow, and a large number of volunteers have been drafted in to assist with the programme, co-ordinated by NUI Galway. Park-and-ride facilities have been put in place by the city council, along with a traffic management plan. As part of the bay’s own traffic plan, harbourmaster Capt Brian Sheridan has emphasised that only approved and registered passenger vessels will be permitted to charge to transport spectators.

The Galway Hooker Association, Cumann Húicéirí na Gaillimhe, has expressed its opposition to the invitation to the RAF Red Arrows flying team to perform on Saturday May 30th. The Galway Alliance Against War has already said that it will hold a peaceful protest if the air display goes ahead.