Sailing legend crosses the line

Sir Robin's brothers were waiting at the finish line

Veteran sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnston has finished a gruelling 30,000 mile solo race - 38 years after he last completed the feat.

The sailing legend completed the round-the-world Velux 5 Oceans Yacht Race on Friday morning.

The 68-year-old from Ipplepen near Newton Abbot, Devon, was the oldest person competing in the race.

His yacht SAGA Insurance was third to cross the finish line off Bilbao in Spain at 1024 BST in the final leg.

Within seconds of crossing the finish line, the solo sailor's two brothers came alongside and scrambled onboard SAGA Insurance.

It is likely Sir Robin will be in fourth overall position, depending on when rival Unai Basurko crosses the line on Saturday.

Would I do this again? No Sir Robin Knox-Johnston

The Velux 5 Oceans race covers some of the world's most testing waters, including the infamous Cape Horn.

Sir Robin has battled technical problems and the weather, since the race began in October last year.

In the final 300 miles he suffered exhaustion and his yacht's progress was slowed by a lack of wind.

The race began with eight yachts, but four have dropped out over the course of the contest.

In his final blog from on-board, Sir Robin said: "Would I do this again? No. If I go again it will be in a cruiser to see places I have enjoyed in the past and others I have always wanted to see.

Defending champion

"I don't think age has played any part in the event. The others are a bit more elastic than I, but that's about it," he said.

"My age group are, on the whole, pretty well off compared with a couple of generations before and I have always felt that my apprenticeship at sea made a big difference to me, it made me grow a strong body that was used to work and has stayed that way."

The third and final leg was across the Atlantic from Norfolk, Virginia, to Bilbao.

Sir Robin was the only Briton left in the race after Mike Golding and Alex Thomson were forced to quit after technical problems.

The race was won by the 42-year-old defending champion Bernard Stamm from Saint Pabu in France.