Samantha Fuller, the first ever female Clipper skipper, led New York Clipper to victory in race two of the Clipper 2002 Round the World Yacht Race on Saturday. At 0815 GMT (0315 local time) Samantha and her crew triumphed across the finishing line off the entrance to Havana Harbour in Cuba after a 28-day transatlantic race.

At 26, Samantha is the youngest of the eight rival skippers and has boasted a commanding lead of the fleet since shortly after the race start off Cascais, Portugal, on 10 November.

Commenting on her first victory in the Clipper 2002, Samantha (from Colchester, UK) said: “My crew are simply wonderful and winning this race is hugely rewarding for all on board. We’ve experienced the highs of ocean racing as well as the lows and certainly the last few days have been real nail-biting stuff. I’m looking forward to a breather here in Havana, although we’re all on a high after winning this race and will be looking forward to getting back to sea.”