Sailing: MacArthur finally back ashore

Kingfisher 2 limped 2,000 miles to arrive in Australia as Ellen MacArthur and her crew returned to dry land after her round-the-world record attempt ended in a broken mast.

The catamaran was towed the final few miles into the west Australian port of Fremantle on Saturday after making a 2,000-mile trip with a makeshift sail. The mast snapped halfway through the Jules Verne bid, destroying any hopes MacArthur had of beating Bruno Peyron's record.

"Everyone's spirits have improved now that the voyage is over," MacArthur said. "The last few weeks since the broken mast have been tough – we've had some bad weather, so life on board hasn't always been fantastic. But everyone's pulled together and, although we haven't achieved what we wanted, it's still a success of sorts to arrive in Australia with a bunch of people who are safe and well and happy to sail together."

MacArthur described the record attempt as "a fantastic experience", adding: "It's sad to end it this way, but we've still sailed halfway around the world together and that's pretty amazing."

In Geneva, Ernesto Bertarelli, the billionaire head of the Alinghi syndicate, the victorious Swiss challenger in the America's Cup, received a hero's welcome as he returned with the trophy on Saturday.

Airport fire trucks saluted his chartered Boeing 747 jumbo with blasts from their water cannons as the aircraft carrying team members, officials and their families taxied in at Geneva airport.

Landlocked Switzerland is seeking bids from cities on the Mediterranean and Atlantic to host the 2007 race. The Spanish city of Cadiz has made a formal offer to host the cup. Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca are also preparing bids.

Other ports showing interest are Cascais, in Portugal, and Cowes, which hosted the first race for the cup in 1851. Ports in Italy and France also are believed to be interested.