Volvo Ocean Race

For three long years, Galway has waited for the Volvo Ocean Race to return to its shores and if it had to stick around until the wee small hours to welcome the fleet back into town, well, that was no problem for party-lovers who have once again gone crazy for sailing.

IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race

In 2009, Race planners were taken by surprise as the west of Ireland port turned out in their tens of thousands to see the Volvo Open 70s in all their glory during a string of sun-bathed days.

Any concerns that repeating that sort of specatacle would be impossible in today's climate were swept away within an hour of Galway's Race Village opening on Saturday.

More than 100,000 turned up and there wasn't a Volvo Ocean Race sailor within 500 miles of the place.

It wasn't until Monday night that the city really put its glad rags on and gave Franck Cammas, Groupama's victorious skipper, and the remaining 65 sailors of the fleet, an Irish homecoming they will long remember.

Halfway through the evening, the relatively balmy conditions had begun to cloud over and by midnight a thin but persistent drizzle had started to fall.

Not even a monsoon could have snuffed out the excitement growing in Galway with Monday turning into Tuesday.

The normally bustling but unpretentious port transformed itself into party central as people crammed around its flintstone walls and waited for sailing legends to yell themselves hoarse at. This was 2009 all over again -- and then some.

When at last, just a few moments after 2am, the 31-metre mast of CAMPER's Leg 9 winners bobbed into view in the harbour followed by the boat itself, the crowd let out a roar of delight.

For a minute or two, the exhausted CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand crew stood almost transfixed as if they had somehow taken a wrong turn and gatecrashed a rock concert or Papal visit.

By the time they docked, though, the 11 were drinking in every minute of the reception and skipper Chris Nicholson sported the biggest smile of the lot before jumping off the boat and into the arms of his wife and little daughter.

"I ought to be going to the gym in the morning but let's face it, that ain't going to happen," he said.

The biggest cheer of a long, long night belonged to Groupama, the overall Race winners, who followed CAMPER in to shrieks of delight from their wives and families, shore crew and the Galway public who by now were circling eight-deep around the harbour.

"It is," said skipper Franck Cammas simply, "the biggest win of my career. An incredible night."

And so the party rolled on as each crew were welcomed until at last Ian Walker's Abu Dhabi team took the final plaudits with the clock showing around 5.30am and the rain pouring ever heavily down.

Miraculously, the Volvo Ocean Race MC Hannah White's voice survived the evening, night and morning.

"Don't worry about it being so early in the morning, Galway!" she boomed. "You've all been given the day off today!" Cue further cheers from her drenched audience.

The 75,000 populace of Galway certainly deserved their rest but if 2009 is any guide, this is one craic that's destined to last until the Volvo Ocean Race finally packs its bags and heads for home on Sunday after the in-port race the day before.

Nobody here is missing this party.