Sailor takes ninth place in first round-world race

A sailor from Cornwall has finished in ninth place in his first Vendee Globe, a non-stop race around the world.

Sam Goodchild, 35, from Falmouth, suffered a torn mainsail when he was in fifth place in the closing leg of the 28,500 nautical mile (52,700km) race.

But he repaired the sail at sea with glue, patches and reinforced plates and finished the race in 76 days and two hours.

Goodchild, who started the race with 40 others in November, raised a bottle of champagne and waved a union jack on the deck of his yacht Vulnerable at the finish in Sables d'Olonne in western France.

Goodchild was greeted by a large crowd of cheering well-wishers at the dockside.

"Sam has been the star of this race," said Martin Loughrey, commenting on Facebook.

"Superb effort under very trying conditions and always with a smile. We could all learn from this," said Tim Bolt.

Goodchild also gave Dorset-based sailor Pip Hare a hug on the dock.

Hare was forced to abandon the race after her yacht was dismasted off Australia.

The only other British sailor in the race, Samantha Davies, is in 13th place.

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