Clipper race nets €5m boost for economy

THE Clipper yacht race stopover in Co Cork last year attracted more than 105,000 visitors and boosted the local economy by in excess of €5 million.

The figures are contained in the Economic Impact and Media Report which was launched yesterday.

Fáilte Ireland’s Fiona Buckley said its positive results could be used to attract other maritime events to Ireland.

“From a tourism perspective the media coverage that Kinsale, Cork and the region received through the Clipper project will ensure that Cork is top of the mind as a tourism destination in the coming years,” she said.

The Clipper race is a 10-month, 35,000-mile non-stop round the world yacht race, with 14 stops on various continents.

Last year’s event featured stopovers in Cork and Kinsale.

Cork City Council, Cork County Council and Fáilte Ireland invested a total of €750,000 to sponsor the first ever Irish entry in the event — the Cork Clipper.

But disaster struck in January 2010 when the 68-foot boat struck a reef in the Java sea and sunk.

The crew was rescued and a replacement boat and captain rejoined the race a few weeks later.

This near-tragedy helped boost the event’s global coverage, with Sky News alone providing rolling coverage of the dramatic rescue over 10-hours.

The fleet arrived in Kinsale and Cork city last July kicking off major festivals.

The economic impact analysis of the Cork Clipper Project was carried out by three University College Cork students, Ger Swayne, Lorcan Daly and Stephen Hicks.

They found the Cork Clipper Festival boosted the economy by €5.6m.

More than €1.1m of the visitor spend was on accommodation and over €2.7m was spent on food and beverages — accounting for 65% of the overall economic impact figure.

A survey during the stopover revealed 98% of those who visited would return to Cork as a result of the Clipper festival, while 97% would recommend Cork as a tourist destination.

The media report, conducted by IFM Sports Marketing Surveys, showed global media coverage for the whole race is estimated at more than €74m ($100m) with Cork’s share at €19.6m ($26.5m).

These figures are boosted by a Discovery Channel global deal that has been agreed with the TV series producers and Clipper Ventures. An Irish broadcaster for the series will be announced in the coming weeks.

The return on investment for the project is estimated at more than 300%, which is above average for hosting a sporting event of this calibre.

Cork’s Lord Mayor Michael O’Connell said the report validates the decision to invest in the Irish entry.

Deputy Mayor of Cork County Cllr John O’Sullivan said the event would also have lasting tourism benefits for the south-west region.

But returning visitors are not the only legacy. The Cork City Marinaat the Port of Cork was built specifically to welcome the Clipper fleet.

Clipper Race chairman Robin Knox-Johnston said: “Cork and Kinsale were fantastic hosts, providing marvellous entertainment during the race festivals in both locations and I am pleased to see that they reaped the rewards.

“The welcome visitors received will ensure a lasting tourism legacy for years to come. ”

This year’s Clipper Race is due to stop over in Derry in 2012.