Jeremy Salvesen (left) and David Thomson.

INTREPID sailors Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson docked in Alderney at the weekend.

The pair had recently completed the Portimao Global Ocean Race – a 30,000-mile round-the-world voyage that takes in some of the roughest waters on the planet.

Fife-based Jeremy, whose sister Penny Hutton runs chandlery business Mainbrayce, in Braye Harbour, and David, from Gosport, spent eight months at sea on board Class 40 powerboat Mowgli.

They battled 80-knot winds during the adventure, which took in South Africa, New Zealand, Brazil and the United States.

Father-of-four Jeremy, 46, described the experience as ‘awesome’.

‘It has been a dream of mine from a few years ago when I started sailing.

‘Up until 2005 I’d never been sailing in my life.

‘I was in New Zealand visiting my brother when I saw these huge sailing boats in Wellington Harbour.

‘I went to talk to the guys to see what they were doing and they said they were sailing round the world.

They said anyone could do it and it sparked my imagination.

‘And, within a couple of months I’d signed up to take part in a round-the-world race.’

Unfortunately for entrepreneur Jeremy the race was cancelled after the organisers went bust.

‘I started training and really loved it.

‘I got all my qualifications but half-way through my preparation the company went bust.

‘I’d made a four-year commitment to the race and didn’t want my dream to be taken away so I found another way of carrying on.’

Jeremy discovered the Portimao race and decided to take on the challenge of circumnavigating the globe double-handed with professional sailor David, 33.

Jeremy said: ‘It was a big step. Going from sailing with a skipper in a 45-tonne boat with 11 other people to taking it on in a four-and-a-half tonne fibre glass boat with just two of us was huge.

‘There was a lot more responsibility and excitement and a bigger sense of achievement.’

Jeremy’s biggest challenge came in the southern oceans when he and David battled a severe hurricane.

‘We hit a hurricane in the southern oceans when we were about 2,500 miles out of Cape Town on our way to New Zealand.

‘At the time we were the most southerly boat in the fleet and leading by a long way.

‘The forecast was pretty rough; 60 knots of wind was expected. However, it was worse.

‘It blew up proper and we had 80 knots of wind for three days. We were really on the edge in so many ways.

A few waves ripped deck gear out of the boat and we lost our satellite gear.’

Mowgli eventually came through the storm, much to the sailors’ relief, and went on to be one of three finishers in the double-handed section of the race.

Jeremy said: ‘We came through it in the end.

‘It was the ride of our lives and was terrifying, exhilarating and incredible all at the same time.’

David, who is already planning his next adventure, said he couldn’t quite comprehend the race was over.

He said: ‘We’re not quite home yet and until I’m back in Gosport I won’t feel like I’m finished.

‘The end of the race was strange.

‘It had taken such a long time to do that you don’t feel like you’ve done anything.

‘I just wanted to carry on sailing.’

About 300 people in history have done what the pair have done, race short-handed around the world.

Jeremy’s task when he returns to Fife is to sell Mowgli and recoup some of the estimated £500,000 he has spent on competing.

David is hoping to begin a second round-the-world voyage later in the year.