Heart issue sinks frustrated Dalton before global race
NEW Zealand yachtsman
Graham Dalton has been forced out of his latest round-the-world race on medical grounds.
Dalton was set to contest the Golden Globe Race, which starts in Les Sables d’Olonne, France tomorrow (NZT) — but has been disqualified after failing a ‘‘stress test’’ centred on his heart performance.
Dalton is a heart attack survivor, but insists he had medical clearance from his Auckland heart specialist Professor Ralph Stewart.
He was required to undertake the test on a stationary bicycle in France and, to his surprise, came up short in the local doctor’s diagnosis.
In trying to plead his case he presented a report from his New Zealand specialist that concluded: ‘‘He (Graham) is currently very active and reports no cardiac symptoms. From the information I have I believe he would be medically fit to compete in the GGR with a small cardiac risk he would need to accept.’’
That has failed to convince race organiser Don McIntyre.
‘‘Sadly, Graham failed his stress test, part of the medical standards required for the GGR,’’ McIntyre told Sunday News from France.
‘‘Graham did not provide a positive report from his cardiologist in Auckland who last saw him in November 2019 and clearly states that Graham will have to accept risks associated with sailing solo due to his condition.
‘‘On the basis of the medical information provided by
Graham, the lack of an official GGR medical as required under the notice of race and the results of the recent failed stress test carried out in France in the past few weeks, which clearly states that he cannot be signed off to undertake a solo voyage, the GGR medical advisors agree that sadly Graham is not fit to safely participate.’’
Dalton, older brother of Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton, disputes this, but says he has no course for an appeal. ‘‘Regattas I have done in the past you have an international jury. There is no international jury here – you go back to the founder, and he is not going to change his mind,’’ Dalton said.
‘‘The whole thing in terms of the notice of race is a joke, it’s laughable.
‘‘In addition to this we all sign a waiver absolving the organisers of any liability in case of death.
‘‘Really, to be stymied at this stage of the event is more than disappointing.’’
He said he had been open about his medical history. He was only informed of the need to have a stress test in June and had struggled to get an appointment.
‘‘You don’t just rock up at the hospital here (in France) and get it done. In my case, to have it this side of Christmas was only possible as an acquaintance knew one of the nurses at the hospital who essentially got me in the back door.’’
Dalton, who recently completed a 2000-mile qualification sail in the Atlantic Ocean, claimed other entrants had been given exemptions in other areas, adding to his frustrations.
The 66-yearold’s two previous round-the-world races ended in frustration. In the 2003 Velux 5 Oceans, a fourstop solo circumnavigation, he was dismasted close to Cape
Horn. In 2007 he doggedly completed the same race, but outside the time allowance.
He says he has had to reluctantly accept his fate.
‘‘It is what it is, I’m at peace with it. I was never here to just sail around the world solo because I’ve done that. It was never about that. For me, it was that competitive side of things.
‘‘I did think about starting five minutes behind the fleet, but I thought, what’s that going to prove?’’
Dalton said he had received plenty of support.
The venture has cost Dalton plenty. He purchased the winning yacht from the last Golden Globe Race in 2018 and had it extensively refitted. He now plans to sell the boat and return to NZ.
‘The whole thing in terms of the notice of race is a joke, it’s laughable . . . Really, to be stymied at this stage of the event is more than disappointing.’ GRAHAM DALTON