A former marketing manager who quit her job to take part in the world's toughest yacht race has reached the fifth leg of her round-the-globe voyage.

Amateur sailor Helen Armour, 39, and her 16-strong crew battled across the treacherous Southern Ocean to reach Cape Town in eighth place after 38 days at sea.

In addition to the relentless weather conditions throughout the 6,200 mile voyage from Sydney, Helen and the crew also had to contend with a torn sail which required round-the-clock repairs.

The Logica crew has reported sightings of whales and dolphins and were also treated to the sight of the Southern Lights during the BT Global Challenge yacht race.

Helen, of Coleridge Road, Hove, said: "Every time they were different, sometimes like icing sugar cascading down in the night sky, other times shimmering in reds, pinks and greens.

"This was an ambition."

Each of the 12 competing yachts has a crew including one professional skipper and 15 permanent members.

They are joined during each of the seven legs by two Logica staff members known as 'Logica Leggers', who raised £5,000 for the official race charity Save the Children to qualify for their berth Helen's crew is now preparing for the sixth leg to La Rochelle, before returning to Southampton in June.