A former passenger ship that has spent the last year transporting some of the world's most expensive racing cars – including for teams formed by Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button – has now returned to Falmouth's drydock.

St Helena, now a floating hub for Extreme E’s off road racing X prix in remote parts of the world, has arrived for routine drydocking after discharging her valuable cars and associated equipment at Poole, Dorset for the final race, the Jurassic X prix, on December 18 and 19.

This will now be set up in the British Ministry of Defence Base at Bovington.

Since leaving Falmouth last February the ship has clocked up 19,000 miles visiting remote parts of the world including Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Greenland, the Amazon Basin, Tierra del Fuego and Sardinia.

The cargo discharged at Poole consisted of the all-electric Odyssey 21 E-SUV’s race cars.

The battery-electric, 400kw (550hp), 1650-kilogram, 2.3-metre wide E-SUV is bespoke from the ground up. Capable of firing from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, at gradients of up to 130%, it’s unlike anything else out there.

Three cars are entrants for teams founded by Sir Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button.

Alejandro Agag, CEO and founder of Extreme E, said: “It’s certainly been a busy month but a very rewarding one. It’s hard to believe that Extreme E is now preparing for its final X Prix of our inaugural season and that the St Helena is back here in the UK where she departed nearly a year ago – and what a year it’s been!

“We are so excited to be ending our first season in Dorset in the UK. Despite the incredible places we have visited so far this year – Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Greenland and Sardinia – the landscape here is equally as amazing and there’s no doubt that it’s certainly going to be challenging for the cars and the drivers. I cannot wait!”

From the Sardinian port of port of Cagliari, Italy, St Helena sailed for Poole.

She was one of the last ships in the UK to sport the prefix RMS (Royal Mail Ship) in front of her name. Built specifically to provide a lifeline to the islanders of St Helena and Tristan da Cunha, the British built ship served the islands well until a new airport was built on St Helena.

The vessel has tangible links with Falmouth as she was once managed by Curnow Shipping Limited from their office in Killigrew Street.