SAILORS from Royal Cornwall Yacht Club came home in first place after racing to the Azores and back again.

Onboard Just Plain Krazy, Stephen Hills and co-skipper Ian Knight won the AZAB Race which saw boats set off from Falmouth Marina, head out to the island located in the Atlantic before returning to Cornwall.

Held every four years, competitors from across the globe tackled the waves for just over a month with the route covering more than 2,500 miles.

Hills and Knight returned as the fourth boat to finish but first overall on handicap and the duo were delighted to win.

Knight said: "We were just amazed, we really didn’t believe we could do it.

"The race was so well organized that all we had to do was take care of the boat."

Finishing second were the German crew on Croix du Sud while Sec Hayai, captained by Nico Budel, came third.

This year's event, sponsored by Red Ensign, was organised by RCYC members, who were just as happy to see a home boat top the leaderboard.

Keith Tullett, the club's commodore, said: "It was a great honour to welcome eight nations to take part in the 2015 race and on a personal basis it is marvellous that a local sailor, a member of the Club, will be announced as the overall winner at the prize giving at the International Boat Show in September."

Crews of all ages took part in the race with the oldest sailor being 78-year-old Keith Gibbs on Change of Course.

His co-skipper, Janet Salisbury, is 71 and the boat came in 46th overall.

After finishing, Gibbs said: "This was a personal challenge and through the AZAB you can achieve a dream.

"It is all about extending experiences and what I and Janet will long remember is the warmth, friendship and comradeship."

The youngest competitor was 16-year-old Lucy Campbell from Drym, near Helston, who was part of the crew on Zulu Warrior.