Yachtswoman Wins Battle Against Loneliness to Reach Finish Line in Solo Round-world Race

After almost 100 days alone at sea taking part in one of the most grueling sporting events, Sam Davies could be forgiven for looking forward to a little time off.

But last night as she was on the brink of becoming the first Briton to complete the latest Vendée Globe solo round-the-world yachting race, Davies was planning how to win the event next time.

She was poised to be third across the finishing line on her boat Roxy and, speaking to the Guardian via satellite phone as her adventure ended, she said she wanted a faster vessel in the next race in 2012.

"It has been exciting. It's a weird feeling, though," she said. "I'm looking forward to getting there but at the same time I don't want the race to stop. It's been such an amazing experience and I'm sad that I may not sail my boat again.

"I'm so overawed by the race, I really want to come back in 2012 with a new boat and be a favorite to win it. I'm going to be planning how to do that, how to find the budget."

Finding the money may not be as hard as it once was because Davies's effort in a relatively old boat, coupled with her entertaining web diary, has made her a star of the sailing world.

The 2008/09 Vendée looks like being a triumph for the Brits. Of the 30 international sailors who began the race only 11 have completed or are still on the water. Frenchmen came in first and second and another has been awarded joint third place because his race was wrecked when he went to the aid of a fellow competitor.

But four Brits are still battling away. In addition to Davies, Brian Thompson, Steve White and Dee Caffari look set to finish strongly.

Caffari, a former PE teacher, will set a world record as the only woman to sail both ways round the world solo when she passes the finishing line next week. Davies's voyage has been eventful, to say the least. She was knocked unconscious in the Southern Ocean - one of the solo sailor's deepest fears - but recovered to aid a friend and competitor, Yann Eliès, who broke his leg. Davies was prepared to leap into her rival's boat to save him. In the end that was not necessary.

She had a miserable encounter with giant kelp that became entangled with Roxy, and in the last few days has been pursued by a weather system that threatened to bring her to a windless halt.

It has not just been about surviving. "It is a race," she said. "I think about the race every minute of every day. It's what I love about it." Over the weekend Davies will have an anxious wait for the fourth boat to come in because its skipper, Marc Guillemot, lost time when he went to help another yachtsman. He will get the lost time back and so could still pip Davies to that joint third place.

But Davies's efforts will also be remembered for the many lighter episodes that she has shared with the world, such as her "karaoke moments" when she would sing at the top of her voice to nobody but herself and any passing sealife. She has grown bean shoots from seed and entertained herself with solo puppet shows.

She said her worst moments were when she heard that fellow skippers were in trouble. Her best was rounding Cape Horn for the first time in her life.

Waiting for Davies at the finishing line at Les Sables-d'Olonne in western France will be her family and friends, her boyfriend, her many French fans (she is much bigger in France, where she lives, than the UK) and company reps hoping to sign her up for lucrative sponsorship deals.

The clothing company Roxy, her main sponsor, was clearly angling to hang on to her. Maritxu Darrigrand, the marketing director of Roxy Europe, said Davies had exceeded their hopes.

"We said to her only to be safe and have some fun. Now we would like to help her go forward and win a big race," Darrigrand said.

"That will take a bigger investment but we definitely want it and will need to find other partnerships, but we need to make it happen."

But what is Davies really looking forward to when she reaches land this morning: "A cold beer and a warm shower, though not necessarily in that order."

Mini squid and a rescue mission: diary extracts

Day 2

It was pretty rough out there yesterday - I saw gusts of 55 knots of wind, and the waves were ENORMOUS.

Day 16

Nothing has changed here! Still living at 20° angle, on a bumpy ride south. Yesterday I attempted to fix the small diesel leaks. I came out after my repair looking like a caveman (or cavewoman)!

Day 22

Yesterday I saw some interesting wildlife. In the morning, Roxy was covered in little squids. So I guessed that we had been under attack during the night!

Day 39

Yesterday, the race director Denis Horeau asked me to divert towards Generali [another yacht] to act as standby to Yann Eliès, who has tragically sustained a serious fracture of his leg. I can't describe my feelings of horror when the reality hit home. It is one of the phone calls that I hoped I would never receive - to find out a fellow competitor (and good friend) is suffering.

Day 63

Roxy and I passed Cape Horn at around 0930 yesterday morning! Needless to say, in true Cape Horn style, my rounding of the mythical point was carried out in 40-knot winds and mountainous seas.

Day 71

I have been growing little bean shoots, as an attempt to have some vitamins and minerals from fresh food, and tonight was the first harvest ... delicious.

Day 94

I have just been in the cockpit having another karaoke moment; making the most of one of the last nights out here on my own! Radar on to keep watch for shipping, I am going to get some sleep now ...