John Falla has completed the Ostar 2009 in his yacht, Banjaard.

SOLO yachtsman John Falla yesterday completed his Atlantic crossing and paid tribute to those who had gone before him.

Mr Falla, 47, finished the race in his yacht, Banjaard, in 24 days, 18 hours and 55 minutes, placing him 19th overall and 18th on handicap. He was fifth in his class of seven yachts.

Mr Falla, a corporate financier with LCF Edmond de Rothschild, said the last two of nearly 25 days at sea in the Ostar 2009 had been the hardest of them all.

‘I think we had more rain in the last two or three hours than we had on the entire trip,’ he said.

The weather forecast had said it would be extremely wet with thunderstorms and, after considering a detour, Mr Falla decided to follow his planned course.

The last part of the voyage, around the Nantucket Shoals, was expansive and challenging with sandbanks stretching for 40 miles either way. There was no wind.

‘The rain made it difficult to see things on the radar and I thought about what it would have been like 50 years ago for the first race,’ he said.

‘It would have been extremely difficult and I think those people were immensely brave. I take my hat off to them.’