Clipper return likely to bring in more than 100,000 visitors

Celebrations will focus on Hull Marina where the 10-strong fleet will berth on Saturday July 17 after their gruelling 35,000-mile, 10-month journey.

They will be given a spectacular welcome by the Red Devil Parachute and Black Cats Helicopter display teams on their final approach to the city as part of the John Harrison Race, celebrating the life of the north Lincolnshire inventor who 250 years ago created the world's first successful marine timekeepers.

Two well-established festivals, the Jazz and Maritime festivals, will be held the same weekend, with the rest of the city coming alive with street entertainment and performances.

Once again the A63 Castle Street will close to allow crowds to cross the main road in safety.

Organisers are hoping for between 100,000 and 120,000 people – fewer than turned up for last year's departure, which had the added draw of the Freedom music festival. This year Freedom is being held separately, in September.

The fleet will leave King George Dock for St Andrew's Quay at 9.30am to take part in the John Harrison Race before turning back as the Red Devils parachute in over the Humber.

The boats will start entering the marina at 11am, with presentations for the crews taking place on the main stage at Humber Quays at about 2pm.

The city's Jazz Festival weekend event will be at the boatshed on the marina from noon to 7pm, on both the Saturday and the Sunday. Meanwhile artists and food businesses who are taking up quarters on Humber Street are planning their own events to mark the occasion.

Portfolio Holder for Image and Culture Coun John Robinson said: "We hope residents and visitors will turn out for this momentous occasion to welcome back the Clipper crews, families and friends to celebrate Hull's fantastic Clipper journey."

Regional development agency Yorkshire Forward began a 2.8m two-race sponsorship of one of the yachts in 2007. Its entry, Hull & Humber, is aiming to go one better than the second-placed finish achieved during the last staging of the biennial race.

Sarah Pearson, from Yorkshire Forward, said: "We are hugely excited to welcome back the Clipper fleet to the sub region and hope that we can build on the success on the last year in terms of tourism and trade."

Liz King, Development Manager at Hull Forward, said they'd confirmed lease terms with five operators taking up redundant warehouses in the Humber Street area of the Fruit Market. The businesses will offer high quality art, craft, theatre, food and leisure activities.

She said: "We're working with all those concerned to ensure that they have some level of operation during the Clipper weekend and feel very excited about being able to provide a flavour of what will follow over the coming months."

Hull & Humber left Cape Breton on Saturday bound for Kinsale, Co Cork, Ireland, 2,080 miles away.

Speaking before their departure, skipper Justin Taylor said there was a chance of making third place overall. Hull & Humber is currently in fifth position with 73 points, with Spirit of Australia in first place and Cape Breton Island in second.

The launch of Clipper and Freedom last September 13, is estimated to have netted 9.3m for the region's economy, and doubled the city's population, attracting 150,000 people into the city centre. Almost every room at city hotels was taken, and businesses in the service industry reported a three-fold increase in trade.