The first glimpse of the catamaran sailing gently up the Cornish creek sparks loud cheers and uncontrollable smiles to spread across the excited faces of family and friends gathered on the quayside.

Under summer skies the O'Flo and her five-strong crew are home after a two-year odyssey around the world visiting glamorous locations.

The boat moors at the Pandora Inn at Mylor, near Truro, after sailing up Carrick Roads on from Falmouth.

The quayside at the Pandora is significant because it is the spot from where the crew set off on their journey of a lifetime.

Meg, 32, a PA who lives in Falmouth, said: "It's absolutely brilliant being home and great to see everyone.

"We had the most amazing time and it's something none of us will ever forget."

Meg made the trip with boyfriend Mark Baker, 35, a boat builder, who also lives at Falmouth and was captain, Scott Traynor, 34, a computer programmer, his girlfriend Pammy Shaddick, 32, a garden designer, and Kieran Moore, 32, an engineer.

The group had all been friends since their days at Plymouth University.

The O'Flo, a hi-tech, fast cruising catamaran is 40ft long, weighs less than four tonnes and is an exceedingly strong yacht capable of well over 20 knots on flat water.

The route the team followed from Falmouth took them down the coast of Portugal, along the African coast before crossing the Atlantic and into the Caribbean.

From there they crossed the Panama Canal and into the Pacific, taking in the delights of Tahiti among other islands.

Australia was next on the list and then Indonesia, where the surfers among the group enjoyed indulging their passion for a few months.

Sri Lanka then beckoned before the crew headed off to the Red Sea, Oman, Yemen, Sudan and Egypt.

After Greece and Spain, the friends made their way back to Falmouth.

A stream of such exotic locations makes it a somewhat tricky task to pick out a highlight, but after careful consideration Meg said: "Swimming with wild dolphins on a reef off Egypt is perhaps the best memory.

"They were so inquisitive and so friendly – the camel rides around the Pyramids was also pretty special."

Thankfully, apart from the odd mechanical hitch, the group did not encounter any major disasters, probably because the trip had been so well planned.

Strong winds were the worst the elements could muster.

And they did not take any unnecessary risks – for example, making their way around the pirate-infested Somali coast, which has cost some sailors dearly.

Meg said: "When we hit Somali waters it was always the plan to travel in a convoy.

"Sailing is a travelling community and you get to know a lot of other people out there doing the same thing.

"We were part of a convoy of 20 boats from all over the world and we all stuck together.

"We were also in constant contact with the coalition forces out there who are made up of navies from countries including Britain, the US, Holland and Australia.

"It took five days to sail around the coast and we had no problems, although when you first see a Somali boat you can't tell if it's a fishing boat or a pirate boat, so for a little while it can be a bit tense.

"All the boats turned out to be fishermen who just wanted water. Some of them had been out fishing for days on end.

"When one man asked us for water we also offered him some biscuits but he said he only wanted the water and nothing more from us. Some just wanted to come up to us and say hello."

Sudan also proved popular with the group, perhaps because it offered such a marked cultural difference to the west.

Meg said: "It is a very biblical country and has not changed very much in 2,000 years.

"People still go around on donkeys.

"All the countries around the Red Sea area were so open and friendly.

"People really wanted to show us their country and culture. The most amazing thing about going around the world is realising that basically people are pretty much the same where ever you go and that most are fine."

To cover costs of the trip, each of the crew threw £10,000 into a kitty to meet running costs, food, visas and cruising permits.

Meg estimates that her and Mark spent a further £4,000 between them on extras.

She said: "We all lived on a very tight budget but managed it well.

"Passing through the Panama Canal alone cost us a thousand dollars, so we had to be careful about how the kitty was spent."

Family and friends took advantage of the group's adventure and flew out from time to time to join them for a holiday.

But it was the generosity of Tris and Susie Cokes, from Falmouth, who own the boat, who made the trip possible by loaning it to the group.

Meg said: "We can't thank them enough for letting us have the boat for two years.

"A lot of the people we met on our travels could not believe that anyone who owns a boat could be so generous."

Meg's advice for anyone dreaming of sailing around the world is simple.

She said: "Just do it. Just leave.

"Falmouth is full of boats waiting for this and waiting for that to be done to them before their owners will even think about going around the world.

"If you waited until everything was absolutely perfect on a boat, you'd never do it."