Fastnet yacht crosses finish line

ICAP Leopard shaved nearly nine hours off the Fastnet Race record

The first yacht to complete the 2007 Fastnet race has arrived at Queen Anne's Battery in Plymouth.

Race organisers said 186 of the 271 competing yachts have been forced to retire because of bad weather.

The yachts left Cowes on Monday after the race was postponed by 25 hours for the first time in its 83-year history.

ICAP Leopard, a 100ft (30m) sloop, crossed the finish line at 0858 BST, having completed the 608 miles (978km) race via the Fastnet rock.

The boat, owned by Mike Slade, crossed the line in 44hr 18m - shaving eight hours 50 minutes off the current record set by RF Yachting in 1999.

Broken leg

ICAP Leopard has taken line honours by being first home, but may not necessarily be the overall race winner.

Four sailors have been injured in the race - one was taken to hospital with a broken leg, while three have minor injuries, including cuts and bruises.

The 2007 field is the largest since the disastrous race of 1979.

Fifteen sailors died in that event after the yachts were caught in a vicious storm off the south coast of Ireland.