Another tortuous leg of the Around Alone round-the-world race came to an end yesterday for Emma Richards, who improved on her first leg performance by finishing third.

The Hamble yachtswoman is pictured arriving in Cape Town in the early hours of Thursday morning and was greeted by Bernard Stamm and Thierry Dubois who had both finished just hours before her.

It was a superb performance by the brave 27-year-old who started her professional racing career as crew on Tracy Edwards's catamaran Royal & SunAlliance in the Jules Verne Trophy attempt in 1998.

Racing her chartered Open 60 Pindar, Richards said she was pleased to have pushed Dubois and Stamm so hard to achieve a podium position, especially after enduring such a difficult time.

Just days away from the end of the second leg from Torbay to Cape Town, a mainsail halyard broke, forcing her to climb the 30-metre mast for five hours to reeve a new halyard.

"It had to be done," she said simply when she arrived in South Africa after being at sea for 30 days, 15 hours and 27 minutes.

"I am happy with the way I sailed. It was a long, tough leg, harder than I thought it would be, but I don't think I could have sailed any better.

"I am looking forward to the next leg," she added. "I can't wait to see what this boat does down south. But first I want something cold to drink and hot to eat."