After 145 days at sea, Alexia Barrier returned to Monaco aboard her yacht "4myplanet." The Riviera Woman was there to record the event and join in the welcome from her team, from local schools and from the public. Schools from Monaco and Menton have followed Alexia's progress as part of their curriculum and the pupils were out in force to give her a noisy welcome home.

Alexia's solo round-the-world voyage was undertaken in the interests of scientific research into the health of the oceans and the planet itself.

As well as being a dedicated sailor, Alexia takes a keen interest in the results of the scientific work and plans to undertake more voyages in the future.

Here is an interview with Hartmut Nies, who is the head of the Radiometry Laboratory at the International Atomic Energy Agency, one of Alexia's sponsors on her voyage. They donated 105 bottles of mineral water so that along her route she used each empty bottle to collect seawater samples, which will be analysed by Dr Nies' team at the Agency's Marine Environmental Laboratory in Monaco to detect the levels of radionuclides such as from coastal nuclear power stations.

We first met Alexia back in September at the Monaco Yacht Show when we were invited to a Press Conference where she first announced details of her mission.

To see how it all began back in January 2010, starting with the baptism of the boat in the pouring rain and then the launch of her voyage two days later in blazing sunshine, click here.

It was a pleasure meeting some of Alexia's team, Sabine Ferber and Lionel Pean who helped to organise this whole adventure and who created this wonderful return to Monaco.