队伍成员
STEFAN AMMAN, GARY BARR, NICHOLAS BATTLE
赞助商
Derry~Londonderry~Doire
队伍介绍
Daniel Smith has been sailing since he was a little boy on family holidays in the Scottish Islands. So for the Senior Yachting and Watersports Instructor to be appointed as Race Skipper, he says, is a dream come true: “I feel the challenge of building a team, taking on ‘Mother Nature’ and conquering the oceans is an opportunity of a lifetime with massive rewards.
“I’ve sailed for as long as I can remember. When I was young we had a 26-foot family yacht, which we went on for holidays every year. As I got older I had an Optimist followed by a few Lasers, which I used to train and race with the Scotland Sailing squad. It wasn’t until I got to University that I realised that it was great fun to sail a yacht with others.”
The 31-year-old Scotsman graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in Computer Science and he also boasts a long list of qualifications in outdoor sports. Daniel, from West Kilbride, North Ayrshire, is a former Scottish Schools National Champion who has gone on to be a qualified Yacht Master, Wind surfing and Power Boat Instructor.
Having already sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, Daniel says it is the Pacific he is most looking forward to crossing in Leg 6 of the Clipper Race: “Its sheer size and remoteness are what excites me about it.
“I believe that with everything in life the more you put into something the more you get out. The Clipper Race will be no different. Those who really get involved in preparing themselves, the team and the boat will get the most from the race. If I can make it the best race I can for each of my crew then it will be a successful race for me.”
Derry City and Strabane District Council is the local council for the North West area of Northern Ireland.
It first came on board in the 2011-12 edition, ahead of its year as the inaugural UK City of Culture 2013 so this edition marks the third partnership with the Clipper Race as the Team Sponsor of Derry~Londonderry~Doire and a Host Port Partner.
Having come through a troubled history, the council aims to build a new legacy for the region using its marketing campaign entitled ‘Our New Story.’
One of its main aims is promoting the growing sector of tourism and encouraging economic development and investment in the area.
The council reported that throughout the 2014 Legenderry Maritime Festival which included the Clipper Race stopover, there were 150,000 visitors to the city generating a spend of £3million into their local economy.
Councillor Elisha McCallion, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District says:
“Sponsoring a team in the Clipper Race allows us an unrivalled year-long, global marketing opportunity to showcase our city as a world class tourist destination. Through activation in key host ports we avail of fantastic networking opportunities with potential and existing markets.
“Hosting a stopover is the icing on the cake because thousands of people travel to the city to greet the fleet and we can welcome our Derry~Londonderry~Doire team home with a fantastic celebration!”
This year the council have also funded the ‘Your Next Chapter’ bursary scheme which gives four unemployed people from the city and surrounding district the opportunity to sail a leg each of the Clipper Race and in the process developing skills that will help them in their future careers.
