Home after three months at sea

Sam Davies' amazing Vendee Globe concludes

In a scene not dissimilar to Ellen MacArthur's arrival back in these waters eight years ago, so in the early hours of this morning, Sam Davies completed her singlehanded lap of the planet, coming home third across the Les Sables d'Olonne finish line at 00:41:01 GMT this morning. Despite the hour, Roxy's pink hull had press and spectator boats teeming around her as the boat which has won the last two Vendee Globes, previously in the hands of Michel Desjoyeaux and Vincent Riou, covered the final miles towards the line under a clear, moon-lit sky and in a light northerly breeze, to take an incredible third podium place in three races.

So first woman home; first Brit home; first non-French home; first old generation boat home. Including 30 hours redress for going to stand by Yann Elies, so Roxy's time round the planet is 95 days 4 hours 39 mins 01 sec which sadly is outside of Ellen's time of 94 days 4 hours and 25 minutes back in 2001. Sam can obviously claim to be the fastest woman around the planet in an eight year old boat.



While Sam is third home, it seems unlikely that she will hold on to this position for long. At the last sched before she finished, her lead over Marc Guillemot's Safran was 217 miles and the Frenchman's relative time compensation to hers is 50 hours. Safran has to finish before 02:41:01 on Monday morning to claim third. And even then he will have to share this spot with Vincent Riou, who was awarded third place despite not finishing as he was dismasting while going to the assistance of capsized Jean le Cam.

Anyway - Bravo Sam. A phenomenal effort and one which will be tough to beat when you come back in four year's time with a new boat.

Unfortunately due to the state of the tide it will not be until breakfast time that Roxy can make the traditional parade up Les Sables d'Olonne channel into the heart of the port and with , no doubt, many thousands of well wishers there to cheer her on.

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