Around-the-World Sailing Race : Martin Is First to Finish, but Jeantot Is the Winner

South African John Martin, aboard Tuna Marine, crossed the finish line at Brenton Reef Tower Thursday to become the first to finish the 27,500-mile solo sailboat race around the world.

Martin, 32, a lieutenant commander in the South African Navy, finished the 5,000-nautical-mile leg from Rio de Janeiro in 26 days 50 minutes. That was 2 days 16 hours faster than Frenchman Philippe Jeantot’s fourth-leg time in 1983.

This time, Jeantot finished third on the leg, six hours after Martin, to become the overall winner of the BOC Challenge for the second time, in a record 134 days 5 hours 28 minutes.

Two fireboats, spouting geysers of water, 20 press craft and almost everything that floats, from kayaks and windsurfers to luxury motor yachts, were on hand for Martin’s 10-knot finish under crystal-clear skies and a 20-knot southeast wind.

Martin’s total sailing time for the course--Newport to Newport--was 147 days 5 hours 14 minutes. Again, that was 12 days faster than Jeantot’s time for the 1982-83 BOC Challenge of 159 days 2 hours 26 minutes.

The South African will probably take fifth place overall in the race.

“I want to thank you for coming all this way to meet me,” Martin said to the scores of French media people on hand at the finish.

The ironic humor was noted. The French were there with the all-but-certain expectation that one of their own would be first across the line. Martin did not take the lead until last Sunday.

Finishing second behind Martin in 26 days 5 hours and 2 minutes for the leg was Titouan Lamazou, 32, of France, on Ecureuil d’Aquitaine. His unofficial elapsed time was 137 days 17 hours 36 minutes.

Jeantot, 34, was 47 minutes behind Lamazou at the finish.

Lamazou battled Jeantot all the way from Rio, holding the lead most of the way but slipping three miles behind his fellow Frenchman by midnight Wednesday. At midday Thursday, however, Lamazou, 31, sailed into Rhode Island Sound seven miles ahead.

Close by Jeantot were America’s Guy Bernardin, aboard Biscuits Lu, and Ian Kiernan, on Spirit of Sydney.

France’s Jean-Yves Terlain who a week ago was in second place aboard UAP Pour Medecins Sans Frontieres, dropped to eighth. He was unable to keep the boat at speed because of a broken boom.