Sailing: Richards sails into record book

Emma Richards was on her way to becoming the first woman to complete the Round Alone solo yacht race around the world yesterday as her 60ft racer, Pindar, headed towards the finish line in Newport, Rhode Island, after 135 days at sea.

Richards, 28, was hit by gusts of up to 70 miles an hour and huge waves as she made her final approach in the north Atlantic – the same seascape that provided the setting for the book turned Hollywood disaster movie The Perfect Storm.

The setback pushed her into last place in her class for the fifth and final leg of the race, but the disappointment will not prevent her from entering the records as both the only woman and the youngest person to complete the race.

Richards, a Glasgow University graduate, said of her 29,000-mile journey: "One hundred and thirty-five days at sea on your own, that's far too long for any sane person." Of her imminent arrival, she said: "I am looking forward to having a shower, being with friends, having lots of chat with a cold beer in my hand."