The maxi yacht Green Dragon, which circumnavigated the globe for Ireland and China in the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race, has left its home port of Galway for what may be the last time.
The Volvo 70 yacht has been bought for an undisclosed sum by an Austrian, Johannes Schwarz,who aims to charter the vessel out on the Mediterranean in summer and the Caribbean in winter.
Port of Galway Sea Scouts helped to prepare the yacht for a return to sea over the past five weeks, and were offered berths in return on the the first leg of the voyage south.
Sea Scout leaders Ciarán Oliver and Erin Killeen accompanied the teenagers, aged between 15 and 18, on the passage to Dingle, Co Kerry, where they were greeted by resident dolphin Fungie at the mouth of the harbour yesterday morning.
Teenager involvement
“We had a tough westerly for the first stages of the overnight sail, and were becalmed for the last stages,” Mr Oliver said. “Many of these teenagers would never get a chance to sail on a yacht of this size.”
Also crewing as far as Dingle was French solo sailor and sailmaker Yannick Lemonnier who is based in Galway.
“The end of an era . . . but the beginning of something new” was how former Let’s Do It Global chairman Enda O’Coineen described the yacht’s departure from Irish waters.
Fame and fortune
Green Dragon
became almost as famous as Fungie when up to 10,000 people lined Galway’s docks overnight to greet the vessel on its arrival into the port from
Boston
in 2009.
Built in China to an American design, the yacht was central to Ireland’s first port stopover in the prestigious round-world race.
Its construction at a cost of €4.7 million was funded by a group of businesspeople gathered by Mr O'Coineen. Fáilte Ireland added €2 million, branding it as part of its €8 million State sponsorship of the Irish stopover.
With a heavier hull and lighter keel than its rivals, the boat came fifth out of seven entries and was put up for sale for €2 million.
Mr O’Coineen said it had been sold for “significantly less” than its construction cost, but that the price was subject to a confidentiality agreement.
Fáilte Ireland said it did not expect to receive any return, as its funding of the boat was part of sponsorship to generate tourism revenue.
