Skipper John Martin sailed into Cape Town,...

Skipper John Martin sailed into Cape Town, South Africa, Saturday night aboard Tuna Marine to a hero’s welcome and first place in leg one of the solo around-the-world sailboat race.

Martin, 31, a lieutenant commander in the South African navy, finished the 7,200-nautical mile leg from Newport, R.I., in the unofficial time of 42 days 1 hour 45 minutes.

That was 4 days 22 hours 15 minutes faster than Philippe Jeantot’s winning time in the 1982-83 BOC Challenge. Jeantot, of France, aboard his 60-foot Credit Agricole III, was 90 miles behind Martin, followed by France’s Guy Bernardin, 200 miles out on Biscuits Lu.