Odessa Finishes Last, With Lots of Supporters

When the Odessa/Moscow Times Challenge yacht crossed the finish line of the round-the-world Whitbread Race on Monday morning, it was in last place, just as it had started nine months ago. But for Captain Anatoly Verba and the boat's several thousand small financial supporters around the world, finishing last was hardly a concern. Finishing at all was their worry.The Odessa, sponsored in part by The Moscow Times, started the 51,200-kilometer race a week late and was dogged by equipment failures and lack of money that menat crew members didn't even get to whoop it up in port or call home.In each of the six ports, Verba and his predominantly Ukrainian crew survived by appealing for cash, equipment and even food. About 3,000 people pitched in.In the last leg from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Southampton, England, the Odessa placed second to last when it arrived Monday. It finished last in 158 days, about 38 days behind the winner Yamaha. As the Odessa sailed the final kilometers to port Monday, Captain Verba was met by his wife Lyudmila -- who he has not seen in 18 months since she had a cancer relapse -- and wellwishers bearing fresh fruit, said press officer Heather Dallas. From Southampton, the Odessa will make its way back to Ukraine, where, according to Verba's daughter, the city after which the yacht is named is preparing a gala welcome. "My father is a crazy yachtsmen. The whole city knows that," said Yulia Aksanyok, 20, in Odessa. "They are going to put the yacht in the city square and have a big celebration."