Norbert Sedlacek is living the final miles of his Vendee Globe dream in the company of his friends and family and supporters who are now alongside in a fleet of RIBS and powerboats on a perfect sunny, Sunday evening. This may have been one of the toughest races yet, with the highest attrition yet, but this is the perfect way to bring it to an end. Sedlacek looks in great shape, joking about the smell from inside his foul weather gear, but he has posed and posed for the media, the former Hilton Vienna waiter about to finish his race.

Nauticsport Kapsch looks in reasonable fettle. He is sailing with the main fixed by a tie at about half height because of the damaged mast track, the cover is gone from the opening into the keel head, and his main looks like it has done a few miles. Otherwise both the boat and the skipper look great. Breeze is just seven or eight knots and he is gliding along towards the line about three and a half or four miles away at about six to eight knots.

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