A Talybont sailor who was attempting to a solo round the world trip is heading home after tech problems forced him to quit the challenge.

After four months at sea, solo around the world sailor Dafydd Hughes is heading back to Wales.

63 year old Talybont retiree Dafydd set off on a solo around the world trip in August 2023 as part of the Global Solo Challenge. The task saw him sail across 26,000 miles across 200 days.

However, 700 miles off the coast of Australia, his boat, the Bendigedig, ran into technical problems.

The electrical fault impacted the Bendigedig’s auto-pilot system. When it was clear the problem couldn’t be fixed, the boat was diverted to Tasmania.

Dafydd, who will be flying back to the UK on 1 January, posted on social media on 23 December where he said he had stepped off the Bendigedig “for the last time.”

In the post, he said he was ‘looking forward to getting home’ and spending time with his family and putting the Global Solo Challenge behind him.

“I've just stepped off Bendigedig for the last time, and really don't know what to say. Everything is very confusing. The fact that it is a glorious hot sunny day, and almost Xmas Eve doesn't help.

“One thing that I do know is that I'm really looking forward to getting home, being with Joanna again, seeing the kids, family and friends - catching up with everyone and getting settled back into life without thinking about the Global Solo Challenge 24/7, as I have been for the past three years.”

Even after having to pull out of the competition, after three years of work and over 100 days at sea, Dafydd was proud of his achievement to have sailed halfway around the world.

Speaking to the BBC, Dafydd said: "I feel good and contented inside because of the achievement of the whole adventure.

"It's been nearly three years since I signed up and started work on Bendigedig. It’s not the fairy tale ending I wanted, but still a happy ending."

In preparation for the challenge, Dafydd spent a year refurbishing the Bendigedig. The boat touched water for the first time in 18 years in May 2022 at Aberaeron Harbour.

Though Dafydd has no plans to attempt another sea spanning odyssey, the Bendigedig, which has had its auto-pilot system repaired, will go on sale in Hobart in 2024.