The National Times - Vendee Globe skipper Pip Hare limps into Melbourne after dismasting

The 50-year-old was devastated but unhurt when the mast snapped in heavy seas on her boat Medallia on December 16.

She set up a makeshift jury rig to get her the more than 700 nautical miles (1,300 kilometres) to land and began documenting her journey in a series of "Slow Boat to Melbourne" videos.

"It's the end of a proper journey. I didn't expect to find myself in this position, I really hoped I wouldn't be in this position," she said on video as she approached Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay.

"But it's one of the things that can happen in the sport we do, and when it does happen the only way out of it is to stand up, sort yourself out and make your situation better every day.

"I think that's what I've really tried to do."

Hare was in 15th position at the time of the damage in the South Indian Ocean.

The Vendee Globe, which takes place every four years, got under way from Les Sables-d'Olonne in western France in mid-November with the 40 skippers embarking on a 24,300 nautical mile course which takes roughly three months to complete.

Yoann Richomme is currently leading ahead of fellow French skipper Charlie Dalin.

"In the last two weeks I guess I have had a good opportunity to process how I feel and the devastation of not making it round this world this time, of not being able to release that potential I really felt I had for this race," said Hare.

"That is always going to be a thing, that's never going to leave me.

"But it doesn't feel so raw anymore and I think I've managed to kind of reconcile things on my two-week slow boat journey."

S.Clarke--TNT