Sam Davies has saluted her history-making Team SCA crew.

The Hamble skipper and her all-female crew struck a resounding blow for women’s offshore sailing in the early hours of Thursday morning when they gloriously clinched Leg 8 of the Volvo Ocean Race.

The comfortable victory was the first female leg win in offshore sailing’s toughest challenge since Tracy Edwards’ Maiden clinched two stage wins in Class D of the 1989-90 race, won overall by Sir Peter Blake’s famous Steinlager2.

At least as satisfying for the first all-women’s crew to enter the race in 12 years will be the opportunity to silence critics.

“It’s a reward for all the hard work we have done,” said Davies.

“It’s a great confidence booster. It’s going to be huge for us. We’ve had a mountain to climb to get here.”