About Us

Let's Do It Global is the organisation that was set up following the successful bid for Galway to host a stopover in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09.  It is a condition of the stopover that Let's Do It Global enters a team in the race.

The targets for the Galway Volvo Ocean Race stopover are that it will generate €43m for the local economy and will deliver over 140,000 visitors to Galway from 23 May to 06 June 2009.

Let's Do It Global is a not for profit organization, with senior members contributing on a voluntary basis. It is run in a professional, business-like way using a team of dedicated professionals with responsibility for key specific areas.

There are two subsidiary companies of Let's Do It Global:
1.   Let's Do It Galway (responsible for the Galway Stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race),
2.   Let's Do It Green (responsible for the Green Dragon Racing Team, Ireland's entry in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09)
 
There is also a special purpose boat ownership company; Shamrock Challenger Ltd. Shares in it are held by a private syndicate of Let's Do It Global supporters. Shamrock Challenger will charter the boat to the Green Dragon team for the duration of the race and it will be sold thereafter in order to recoup some of the build cost. Further information on Green Dragon available on www.greendragonracing.com

Let's Do It Galway has contracted with the Volvo Ocean Race organisation and the Galway Harbour Company, on whose premises the event will mostly take place, in order to run the event.

On conclusion of the project, should there be any residual surplus funds they will be used to compensate Galway Harbour Company for loss of commercial activity and distributed to nominated charities.

Let's Do It Galway is seeking sponsorship from the private sector and government bodies. To-date it has received  sponsorship from Failte Ireland, as the main sponsor and other major national and international companies. The principal stakeholders in the project are Galway Harbour Company, Failte Ireland, Galway City Council and the business community in Galway.

All permanent facilities which are provided by Let's Do It Galway will be constructed on Harbour Company property and will become the property of the Harbour Company after the event.  It will be their decision as to their use or removal after the event.

Let's Do It Galway will also seek the necessary permits for all other property which it will have the use of during the event. The owners of these properties have given the use of their property free of charge  [in line with the Harbour Company] for the duration of the event - in the true spirit of voluntary support. Any permanent improvements carried out on these sites are at the owners' expense.

The prinicpal board members of Let's Do It Global are John Killeen, Eamon Conneely and Enda O'Coineen who have given their time free to the organisation.  They are joined by other members of the not for profit holding entity who include David Beattie and Robert Dix.

All necessary supplies and staff positions have been publicly advertised, other than these supplied free of charge. The Directors of the company are all full time employees.

Accountants KPMG have been retained to monitor the funding of the project and ODSE law firm to ensure total legal compliance and transparency in all aspects of the project.

The aims of the project is to promote Galway, the immense natural resource of the Harbour/Galway Bay to the city,  the West Region, and Ireland. The event will put Galway on the global map with great cities of the world.  Galway will be the smallest city in the 11 stopover ports around the world to host the race. With the full support of the people of Galway, we are endeavouring to host the best stopover in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09.

Let's Do It Global Adventure is a brand within Let's Do It Global which will deliver a legacy to the project. There are two key areas as follows:
1.   A schools programme which will introduce young people to maritime activities, careers at sea, marine commerce and trade, the Naval Service, the Merchant Marine and the sport of sailing. Through a structured learning programme, they will experience the areas of learning associated with sailing including teamwork, planning, adventure, climate, technology, geography, history and the marine environment.
2.   An outreach programme which will link the Irish diaspora in all stopover ports around the world with the Galway Volvo Ocean Race stopover and will deliver an Irish following of the Green Dragon entry. This outreach programme will also assist in promoting Ireland globally.