IT was a homecoming that he dreamed of when he was lying in bed at night as a teenager.

Adrian Flanagan had imagined that one day he would be in the Solent with the might of the Royal Navy at his side after sailing around the world.

He had been inspired after reading Sir Francis Chichester's Gipsy Moth Circles the World.

Yesterday that boyhood dream became reality when the 47-year-old father of two made a triumphant return to the Hamble after a quest which began nearly two-and-a-half years ago.

He became the first person to complete a single-handed vertical circumnavigation of the globe westwards around Cape Horn and across the Russian Arctic coast.

Nervous But when it came to meeting up with Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Trumpeter for the grand fanfare of the finale of his epic voyage, Adrian admitted to having an attack of the butterflies.

He said: "Although I had been around the world I felt nervous. There I was with the Royal Navy and I did not want to get stuck on a sandbank."

But it was all plain sailing as Adrian inched his 40ft stainless steel yacht Barrabas through the flotilla of boats that had turned out to give him a hero's welcome.

Adrian's ex-wife Louise Flanagan, who was his expedition manager, and their two sons, Benjamin, nine, and six-year-old Gabriel, joined the mid-Solent celebrations.

Louise, aged 47, who had helped to steer Adrian's great adventure, stood on the deck of the yacht, Ko Ko Kai and blew him a kiss. The children waved excitedly as they welcomed their daddy back from the seas.

As the lone sailor headed home he was fortified by a mug of tea from the crew of his Royal Navy escort.

Later he said: "The Royal Navy make a good cup of tea. It's sweet, strong and you can stand your spoon in it."

There were more celebrations brewing for the around the world adventurer when Barrabas pulled alongside the jetty at the Royal Southern Yacht Club.

Louise had cracked open a bottle of bubbly but before that a silver tray bearing a single glass was carried onto the deck.

"I had to get a shot of whisky down my neck," explained Adrian as he faced the world's press.

Asked if he would do all it again, he replied: "Not a prayer !"

He revealed that Barrabas was up for sale. It bears the battle scars of an epic voyage carried out in the world's most treacherous waters.

It also holds a fund of stories including Adrian's brush with death when he was washed overboard, braving the notorious Cape Horn and been tracked by pirates off Brazil.

He hopes that the new owner will take Barrabas on more adventures - "It is a boat that needs to breathe."

Adrian has one or two new projects in mind but he would not reveal the details.

Family His first priority was to have more time with the family and finish the last chapter of his book, called Over the Top which will hit the book shelves on October 9.

Sailing the world has burnt a huge hole in his pocket. Although he would not say how much the marathon expedition had cost he revealed that he had to mortgage his house and dive into his savings.

But he said it had all been worth it - just to live the dream that he had more than 30 years ago.