800,000 people to enjoy race festival

Up to 800,000 people are expected to throng to the west this weekend and next week as the Volvo Ocean Race finishes in Galway.

Although the six yachts taking part in the world’s most prestigious round-the-world yacht race will not arrive into Galway until July 3, festivities kick off on Saturday and run until July 8.

Three years ago, Galway put on a party to remember for the Volvo Ocean Race stopover. It was such a success that this time around, the city was given the honour of being the finishing port for the nine-month race and is expected to bring upwards of €80m to the economy.