8 boats are already out on the water to welcome Norbert Sedlacek back to Les Sables.  There is a light breeze and flat calm seas.  He is moving gently along at 7-8 knots under genoa and two reefs.  The seas are so calm it looks like a quiet summer's evening.

And so the final finisher of the 2008-9 Vendee Globe, Norbert Sedlacek, is now expected at the finish line between six and six thirty GMT, seven and seven thirty local time. His team have recently spoken to him and he is making around six or seven knots and is less than 30 miles now from the finish line.

Norbert Sedlacek will be bringing the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe to an end this afternoon. The skipper of Nauticsport-Kapsch was sailing this morning (03h30 GMT) at 3° 21.58' west and 46° 11.00' north, which puts him off the island of Ré. The yellow monohull was only 67.4 miles from the finish and was sailing due east at 8.5 knots. Norbert is therefore expected to cross the line this afternoon before entering the harbour.
 

And the Vendee flags are out for Dinelli as he enters the channel, a huge crowd lining both sides of the channel, enjoying a perfect sunny Saturday afternoon, it is a wonderful sight. Applause ringing in the air, cries of 'bravo Raphael!' horns, hooters and there is absolutely not a space to be found on the sea walls.

Raphaël has just crossed the finish.  The official time will follow shortly

Raphaël crossed the line at 14h 34m 24s GMT after sailing 28,140 miles averaging 9.37 knots on the water.  He sailed the theoretical distance at an average of 8.23 knots

Dinelli's kids and his wife bring a baguette to him on the bow as he is taken under tow for the channel, he is reunited with his family, two daughters

Dinelli is within sight of the finish line, loving his homecoming and seeing friends and family and supporters for the first time since Nov 9th. He is joined now by a flotilla of local sailing boats as well to complete the armada. He has probably two and a half miles to the finish line, making around ten knots under his double reefed main and genoa. He looks very relaxed and happy, his boat looks in pretty good shape, the only real evidence of his 125 days at sea is the faded sponsors stickers on the mainsail.  He will finish in less than 5 minutes.

Dinelli is on the bow of his boat, the figurehead for the Foundation looking for the finish line exactly and enjoying these final minutes of what is effectively his fourth Vendee Globe, his second successful finish.

Raphaël Dinelli is hand steering 20 metres from the line.