As almost 90 tall ships set sail for France from the Waterford estuary today, there's a sense of deja vu for some of the more seasoned captains and shore crew.
Seven years ago some 70 tall ships raced into Dublin just days after a Real IRA bomb killed 29 people in Omagh.
This time, the race run by Sail Training International starts in Ireland for the first time, and this time thoughts among many crew are with the bereaved and injured in London.
The mayor of Waterford, Cllr Hilary Quinlan, has extended sympathy on behalf of the
people of Waterford to those affected by Thursday's bomb attacks.
Captains of the ships held their shore briefing yesterday morning, crews were instructed in the art of hurling, and last night a spectacular firework display over the Suir marked the culmination of six years of planning by the Waterford Tall Ships race committee.
The committee bids farewell to the 87 vessels today on the first leg of the race to Cherbourg-Octeville in France, with a northwest to north wind force two to three and poor visibility forecast.
Tidal factors dictate an early start, with the first of the fleet moving from 7am down river, joining the confluence with the river Barrow off Cheekpoint and motoring by engine south past Ballyhack, Arthurstown and Passage East towards Dunmore East.
The fleet will begin setting sails as they head five miles off Hook Head, where the race will start at 3pm, monitored by the Naval Service flagship LE Eithne.
Earlier in the week, Tall
Ships Races (Europe) Ltd chairman Jostein Haukali caught the magic of the event when he described what people will witness today.
"When we look at the tall ships which are berthed now on both sides of the river, we feel something special inside, we get a feeling of adventure and excitement which for many years was connected with the old ways of crossing the seas," said Mr Haukali.
Lt Beasodi from the Indian navy sail training ship INS Tarangini was among the 3,000 or so sailors enjoying the novelty of actually being able to berth in a city centre this week, as he revealed that Waterford reminded him of ports he had read about as a child.
"In my childhood, I read a few of the novels and Waterford is absolutely like that - it's like a dream coming true as you enter the harbour and it's definitely very unusual to be inside a city like this with a nice public around - overall it's just beautiful," he said.
The Asgard II, which is participating along with the Irish ships Dunbrody and Jeanie Johnston, will lead this morning's parade of sail to the race start, which is best viewed with a good pair of binoculars from shore at Dunmore East.
After the next port of call in northwest France, the fleet sails to Newcastle/Gateshead in Britain before finishing up in Fredrikstad in Norway.
Farther north in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, some
400 boats are competing in the Dún Laoghaire Regatta Championship 2005, with six racecourses spread throughout Dublin Bay.
The four-day event marks the first time that four waterfront clubs have run an event together in the harbour.
Public events in Dún Laoghaire today will include a carnival on Sandycove Green from 11am to 4pm, an exhibition in the Maritime Museum,
bands in the People's Park and plaza, and face painters and drummers from De Jimbe on the west pier and at the plaza this afternoon.
Yacht race finishes tomorrow can be viewed from the east and west piers from midday to 1pm, and an RNLI air-sea rescue demonstration takes place off the east pier at 4.30pm.