Sailing-Cremer breaks Vendee Globe women's record by seven days

With thousands gathered to witness history, 31-year-old Cremer finished with a time of 87 days 2 hours and 24 minutes to break Ellen MacArthur's previous best mark of 94 days and 4 hours set in the 2000-01 edition of the race. "I'm so happy to be here.

French skipper Clarisse Cremer smashed the women's record for the Vendee Globe by seven days when she completed the solo round-the-world race in 87 days after arriving at Les Sables d'Olonnes in France on Wednesday. With thousands gathered to witness history, 31-year-old Cremer finished with a time of 87 days 2 hours and 24 minutes to break Ellen MacArthur's previous best mark of 94 days and 4 hours set in the 2000-01 edition of the race.

"I'm so happy to be here. It's a big relief, we were stressed until the end," she said on the race website. "I'm happy to have succeeded and to be back with my team. This welcome is incredible, I feel like I am dreaming. "There were times when I wished I had pushed harder on the machine, but the goal was to finish."

MacArthur sent Cremer a message congratulating her on an "exceptional lap". The race was won by Yannick Bestaven last week. The Frenchman crossed the finish line third with a time of a little over 80 days, but was handed a time bonus of over 10 hours for his role in rescuing a fellow competitor.