Talented Dartmouth sailor Henry Bomby has had an encouraging start to his solo season, after finishing the Solo Arrimer race in France against some of the top offshore sailors on the circuit.

After racing non-stop for just over 35 hours, the 22-year-old finished in Les Sables d'Olonne late on Friday night. He crossed the line in 18th place, ten places higher than he managed in 2012. It was the first race on his new boat Zhik - Made For Water.

Henry's new boat comes as a result of his new agreement with Zhik, the Australian sailing clothing company, which has seen him become an official brand ambassador.

Henry said: 'I am really happy to cement this association with Zhik that started a few years ago while competing in J80's.

'It's great to see how the clothing has developed so quickly into comfortable practical sailing gear and I hope to be able to help champion the brand with my sailing both here in France, but more importantly back home in the UK after the Solitaire has finished.

Discussing the Solo Arrimer, Henry said: 'During the race I saw the most wind I have ever seen while at sea – a hefty 52 knots!

'It was amazing to be racing in that stuff, I was side by side with five boats, all of us pushing the boats to the max.

'With every single wave we charged over, rolling white water poured over the decks.

'The Figaro turns boys into men, fact. Nights like that toughen you up a notch or two without a doubt.

'Just safely getting a boat through those conditions on your own is a big job and then there's the added element of competition as well!'

Henry has been training at the renowned Port La Fôret centre in Brittany and so knows the coastline of France pretty well, but the conditions last week were a sobering reminder of the power of the sea.

Henry continued: 'Twice while driving I got washed off the helm by a wave breaking over the back of the boat and both times I ended up in a sprawled mess by the life raft, feeling lucky to just be alive and still onboard.

'When the next wave unseated me I was stopped half way by my harness and fell into the tiller, a slightly more painful experience, but I appreciated the bruises compared to the thought of going over the side and into the Atlantic!'

Henry's now off to sunnier climes, joining Torquay-based 'Red Sailing Team' for Charleston Race Week in America.

Three races a day for four days with a crew of four will be very different from what Henry has experienced in the last week.

Henry, a graduate of the Cowes-based Artemis Offshore Academy, will be back to solo racing next month when he joins fellow graduates Sam Goodchild and Nick Cherry and current Academy sailors, Jack Bouttell and Ed Hill for the Solo Concarneau on May 6.

This will be another 48-hour race and a chance to fine-tune their boat ahead of their main race of the season, the month-long Solitaire du Figaro in June.