The Clipper Maritime Festival will return to Derry this July.
Derry City and Strabane District Council revealed that Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race would resume after a two-year delay due to the pandemic.
The clipper crew will once again enjoy a fabulous welcome home to the Foyle as the city delivers a spectacular maritime celebration from July 20-24, 2022.
The world-famous sailing event will set out from Subic Bay (Philippines) in just three weeks' time, after being suspended in March 2020.
Race Crew from 21 different countries will take part in an intensive week of training from March 7, before the first point scoring race, which will take crew across the North Pacific Ocean, on March 20.
This will be the fifth consecutive time that the city has acted as a host port and a considerable international following for the event has built up over the years.
Mayor of Derry, Alderman Graham Warke, said the Maritime Festival was gearing up to be one of the best yet held in Derry.
He added: "This is fantastic news, we are thrilled to be able to confirm that the Clipper Race Crew will be arriving in the City on time to join us for the Foyle Maritime Festival.
"There will be so much excitement as the first yachts appear on the Foyle. It will mark a real milestone in the journey of the crew but also very significantly in terms of the slow journey towards recovery that we have all been on.
"I've had a chance to look at the details of the Foyle Maritime Festival programme and I think the events team have done an amazing job at retaining the maritime magic of the event and also enhancing it this year.
"It's fitting that we announce the programme dates on the first day of our Illuminate Festival, which is only the first in a year of festivals for the City and District. There is so much to look forward to in 2022."
The maritime festival theme for 2022 is 'What Lies Beneath' focusing on the natural beauty of our oceans, rivers and lakes, and the onus on all of us to protect and preserve marine life.
Head of Culture for the Council, Aeidin McCarter, said that excitement was already building ahead of the event.
"We are delighted that the Clipper Race fleet will once again be central to our festivities, with all the colour and comradery that the crew bring to the Quayside.
"With today's announcement for the race, the pieces are finally all coming together and we look forward to revealing more about the festival programme over the coming weeks."
