After spending two long weeks at sea under tough conditions Green Dragon's crew were delighted to receive a much welcomed taste of home when they arrived into Boston.

Subjected to bland freeze-dried meals throughout their journey, the 11 crew-members were treated to a unique Green Dragon buttie as they stepped ashore. This meal consists of organic Irish fillet beef, fresh potatoe wedges topped with sea salt, west cork country relish and freshly baked bread- all self contained in a ready-to eat meal.

Typical of the Irish hospitality that can be expected at the Galway Race Stopover, all crews of the Volvo Ocean Race can look forward to this same welcome when the fleet reaches Galway from May 23rd and 24th.

The final stages of Leg 6 into Boston was a punishing one with teams facing 20 knot winds on a pitch-black night, with thick fog and zero visibility. Green Dragon skipper Ian Walker knows just how motivating the promise of this Irish welcome can be to a crew on the last leg of the journey: "We now have 24 hours to the end of this leg to Boston where the Irish should receive an extra special welcome. I can almost taste the ‘Green Dragon butties' given to us when we get in by Good Food Ireland - now that sounds better than freeze dried sweet and sour doesn't it!"

There are only 26 days before the arrival of the fleet into Galway Bay and with the prospect of this sumptuous meal upon their arrival all sailors are sure to be looking forward to the Galway Stopover, which promises to be a memorable one for sailors and spectators alike.

The key weekends for the festival are the arrivals (23-24 May), the inport racing weekend with viewing from Salthill Promenade (30-31 May) and the departures on Saturday (06 June).

Full festival details are available at www.galwayvolvooceanrace.com where you will also get up to the minute information on the arrivals of the yachts over the weekend of 23/24 May.