Rob Greenhalgh today revealed how the death of a team-mate made victory in the Volvo Ocean Race "irrelevant".

The Sussex sailor helped crew ABN AMRO ONE to victory with two legs to spare when they won the New York to Portsmouth leg of the round the world race on Saturday. Two days earlier, Hans Horrevoets died after being swept overboard on the Dutch team's sister boat ABN AMRO TWO.

Greenhalgh returned to his native Rottingdean today before heading to Holland to attend a service for Horrevoets, whose body was recovered from the sea.

Ironically, the tragic Dutchman's boat rescued the ten-strong crew of ailing Spanish rivals Movistar a few days ealier.

Greenhalgh, who belongs to Brighton Marina Club, said: "Hans would have wanted us to carry on, win the race and then celebrate.

"We wanted to win so we could dedicate the race to his memory.

"But we would give everything to have him back. At the moment our victory is irrelevant.

"We will celebrate later. But Hans' crew got off the boat yesterday and transferred his body.

"They also had the added drama of having to rescue Movistar and save ten lives."

Greenhalgh, 28, says he feels lucky to be alive. He said: "Hans was trimming the spinnakar sheet, which is a job I do.

"When I started the race I expected difficulties and traumas but you don't expect people to die.

"It is one risk that is ever present. You know if you go overboard you are unlikely to make it and that is what happened to Hans.

"Our thinking always is stay safe and keep the boat safe.

"When we heard the news of his death we all took a good look at ourselves and became even more safety conscious.

"The main thing was to finish. We couldn't afford to break a mast.

"My family was there to greet me when I got back to Portsmouth and it was difficult to manage the emotions."

Greenhalgh said the north Atlantic leg of the seven-month challenge was the most difficult part of the race, even after crossing the notorious southern ocean.

He said: "It was the toughest leg. Conditions were rougher than the southern ocean.

"When we set off from New York it was very cold and windy.

"Last Friday, when we came into the channel and were over the continental shelf, where deep waters became shallower, the seas were enormous.

"It was extremely windy, about 48 knots. We had three reefs folded in the main sail, no spinnaker and no big sails in front.

"It was pitch black. We couldn't see anything and were surfing down massive waves and ploughing into them at the bottom. It was pretty full-on."

Greenhalgh received a minor injury early on in the race but emerged from the last leg with nothing more than a cough.

He has been trying to relax since Saturday. He said: "I've been chilling out with friends and have been fishing. But I've not got much time. I've got to report back to the boat tomorrow to get it ready for the next leg."

The penultimate leg to Rotterdam begins next week and the overall race will finish in the middle of next month.