ISLE of Wight round the world yachtsman Brian Thompson this morning crossed the finish line of the Vendée Globe.

Stood proudly on the bow of his yacht Bahrain Team Pindar, Thompson received rapturous applause from the waiting crowds as he sailed into the French port of Les Sables d’Olonne after 98 days 20 hours and 29 minutes at sea.

He was the second British skipper to complete the race after Hamble’s Sam Davies came in third in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Speaking from the dockside, Thompson said: “Fifth is an excellent result overall, I’m quite happy about that.

“I wanted to be in the top five, but I hadn’t expected the race to be such a race of attrition, but that’s pretty good out of 30 boats.”

Dee Caffari is on course to finish at around 1pm GMT but due to tidal conditions will not be able to enter the harbour channel until 5.30pm.