Clipper Yacht Race Update – Our crew arrive in Madeira, in style!

Day 10 and the "Edinburgh Inspiring Capital" Yacht arrive in Madeira. As part of the crew, Sue Gyford (a journalist for the Evening News) recalls that moment:

"I emerged from the hatch onto deck on Wednesday morning to see land for the first time since we left the coast of northern France.  With our arrival only a few hours away, everyone got busy. As lunchtime approached, Madeira came into view over the horizon, just as dramatic as its neighbour. Both islands are extinct volcanoes and shoot straight up out of a deep, deep sea towards the sky.

With just 10 minutes to go, everyone was sent below deck to pull out our (now somewhat crumpled) City of Edinburgh kilts, crew T shirts and hats. There was a very stiff breeze and more than a few cases of unexpected exposure, while several caps were whipped off unsuspecting heads into the Atlantic.

We lined up on the deck again, with cheering members of the other crews to see us in. For some, there were damp-eyed welcomes from family members who had been waiting for us in Madeira. For everyone, there was that long-awaited beer".