500,000 expected at Tall Ships fest

MORE than half a million people are expected to flock to Waterford over the next four days for the Tall Ships Race 2011, which kicks off today.

The internationally acclaimed annual competition brings over 1,000 crew members from around the world to Waterford and 100 young Irish people will join the ships alongside their international peer as trainee crew members, for the first leg of The Race.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will officially open the event today at 3.15pm on the riverside at William Vincent Wallace Plaza to a performance by a choir of 250 Waterford voices.