A sailor saw triumph turn to disaster when he was stranded in fierce seas and forced to abandon his treasured racing yacht.

Alex Bennett left his One Dream - One Mission boat to the mercy of the elements after the keel broke.

The catastrophe happened just weeks after he had guided the vessel to success in a transatlantic race.

Alex, who lives in Brighton, was returning to Britain from South America after he and colleague Paul Larsen beat the cream of European yachting teams in a race from France to Brazil.

His boat was previously sailed by Ellen MacArthur and Pete Goss, who made international headlines by pulling a fellow competitor in a round-the-world race to safety on to the yacht, then named Aqua Quorum.

Alex was planning to sail the 50ft yacht in the 2004 Vendee Globe solo race and was travelling home from Brazil to qualify for the event.

But disaster struck for the 25-year-old 600 miles south of the Azores when the hydraulics for the keel failed.

He sent out a distress signal and was picked up by a nearby German tanker but had to abandon his boat.

Alex's father David said the ship was due to reach Trinidad today and Alex would fly home tomorrow, in time for Christmas.

David said he spoke with his son via a satellite phone, saying: "It is a double-edged sword because he won a major international yacht race but lost his boat.

"He feels like he has lost a little part of himself. It is a bit like losing a member of your family."

When Alex realised he was in difficulties, his distress signal was picked up by the tanker EWL Central America, which was just 20 miles from his yacht.

David said: "Alex tried frantically to save the keel but it nearly capsized again and he realised it was beyond his control. He either stayed on the boat and died or got off and lived."

Alex was one of the crew for the ill-fated Team Philips catamaran.

Pete Goss's revolutionary vessel was severely damaged in sea trials shortly before it was due to race in a round-the-world challenge.

The crew abandoned Team Philips almost exactly a year ago.

Alex continued sailing and, with Paul Larsen, arrived to a hero's welcome in Brazil last month winning the Transat Jacques Vabre event, where David was waiting to greet his son.

He said: "It was tremendous. I went out in the Press boat at the finish and to see him winning the race was amazing."

Ironically, Alex was due to dock One Dream - One Mission in Plymouth on about the date he will now be arriving by aeroplane.