Conrad Humphreys spent his 32nd birthday alone at sea

The Plymouth skipper crossed the finish line on his 60ft (18.3m) monohull, Hellomoto, to finish in seventh place, 17 days behind the winner Vincent Riou.

Humphreys, 32, set out on the 24,000-mile biennial race in November.

He had described the Vendee Globe as the biggest race of his life, and said his first reaction to crossing the line was one of complete relief.

"I've been thinking about this moment for such a long time but not letting myself get too carried away as so much can happen," he said.

"It's been an epic race and I've enjoyed it, there've been lots of challenges, so this is an amazing moment!"

Humphreys says he ranks his success as one of the greatest things he has done, having spent much of the race wondering if he would actually finish.