Sailors return from Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

The 12 boats in the Clipper Race sailed between six continents

Hundreds of sailors have returned to London 11 months after setting off on the 40,000-mile (64,000km) Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

Crowds greeted the boats as they arrived at Tower Bridge at 12:45 BST.

Twelve teams, largely made up of novices, tackled hurricanes and tornadoes as they raced between six continents.

The crew from the winning vessel, Henri Lloyd, was presented with a trophy at St Katharine Docks.

Tower Bridge lifted for the top three teams

The race was founded by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who became the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 1968-69.

He said: "It is a tight race, but in racing with a tight crew that is teamwork and that's where you learn you can do things you didn't realise you could do.

"You work together and you trust your lives to each other on a boat."

The final leg of the race departed from the Netherlands on Thursday for London

The fleet parade started at the Thames Barrier before travelling to Tower Bridge

Most of the crew members - 670 from more than 40 nations - were novices, although each boat was skippered by a professional.

The Clipper Race took in South Africa, Western Australia, Sydney, Singapore, China, San Francisco, Panama, Jamaica, New York, Derry and the Netherlands before returning to London.

Spectators greeted the teams as they arrived in London

The winning team Henri Lloyd was presented with a trophy

During the challenge, one man was rescued from the Pacific Ocean after going overboard for 90 minutes, the organisers said.

It was the first time that London had hosted the event, which left the capital on 1 September.