Yachting through charity

Graham Dalton explains to madforsailing the secret of his sponsorship with megabank HSBC

Onto the boat which was only put in the water a week ago, following her build in just 20 weeks by Southern Ocean Marine in Tauronga. "The boat is being worked on and finished off as you do when new boats go in the water. We haven't done a lot of sailing. We brought her up on a delivery of about 130 miles last weekend. But the most we had was 15 knots of wind, which was probably good. But what we saw we liked. In about 15 knots of true wind, with the kite up, we cracked off and got up to about 16, 17 knots.

"In terms of boat speed at this very, very, very early stage it seems good. But the bottom line is when you line up against other people. And of course that's only part of the equation - you have to put the boat in the right part of the ocean and sail it well. But I believe we've got the hardware. I've got a steep learning curve, there's no question about that. I know all the questions, I just don't know all the answers - yet. But it's a hell of an advantage actually knowing the questions."

However he is quietly confident about the ability of his new Owen-Clarke designed Open 60. "While I won't say how much, I believe we're considerably lighter than any of the other Open 60s around without any compromise for safety or structural integrity. It has been an exercise in chopping out every ounce of weight we can in terms of personal comfort. Even the old seasoned pros get down and say "Jesus,Dalton, you're bloody mad" but the way to make a light displacement boat go slow is to add weight, and when you compromise that philosophy on one thing, why should you stop on one and then you compromise on a second or a third or a fourth and so it goes on and all of a sudden you discover that you've added a truckload of weight."

This is the only part of the interview where I start to hear echoes of Graham Dalton's more famous brother. I tell him this and then it is as if I am talking to the Amer Sports One skipper. "This is not about debating the rights of same sex marriages mate. This is about a bloody yacht race and getting out there and doing the bloody job. And if you find it a bit tough well you have just got to toughen up and get out there and do the bloody job. If you want to party then stay ashore. Get out there and do it and just bloody toughen up."

Unlike Grant, Graham Dalton has not been involved in competitive sailing for a number of years. "Not having sailed these boats, it's a bit like you've been racing a V8 saloon around a race track and you're not too bad at that and all of a sudden they pull you out and put you into a Formula One single seater. Well yes they are both cars, they've got four wheels, a steering wheel and an accelerator, but that's where the similarity stops. It is just a totally different beast. I am very happy with the boat, but I've got nothing to gauge it against. I've got no experience to say well that's so much better than the last one I sailed on, but I'm pretty comfortable. There is nothing more I feel I could have done, which I haven't done."

Schedule-wise, this weekend the boat is supposed to be taking part in the two handed round North Island race. Crewing for Dalton will be Rodney Keenan, one of the principals of Doyles Sailmakers in New Zealand, who recently sailed on SEB on leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race. "Then it's back here probably for a week or so and then take off by myself for 3,000 miles probably ending up in Sydney," Dalton continues. "Then a couple guys, including Merf Owen, will jump on board, and we'll take her down to the Southern Ocean. Then back here, a bit more work and then it's probably be time to ship it away."

The boat is to be shipped early to mid May directly to the UK where she is due to arrive around 10-15 June. In the UK the boat will be used by the HSBC Educational Trust and Dalton says he will take part in some races, although exactly what has yet to be decided. Then, unusually, the boat will be shipped to the US, prior to the start of Around Alone.