10.30am
Tauranga's Graham Dalton has made a solid start to leg one of yachting's ultimate challenge, the Around Alone race.
Initially leading the pack, Dalton has slipped back to third position. He is 32 minutes behind Frenchman Thierry Dubois, who is skippering Solidaires, and 46 minutes behind Swiss leader Bernard Stamms on
Armor Lux.
Dalton has had some technical difficulties with his satellite equipment and wind instruments which he said had made sailing Hexagon "pretty challenging".
The 2930 nautical mile first leg from New York to Torbay is the shortest leg of the race with the first boat expected to arrive in England on September 26.
In his skippers' log posted on the official Around Alone website today, Dalton said he was pleased with the progress he was making and although he was expecting "a bit of a rough ride", he was confident Hexagon would make good headway in the next few days.
He said after a good send-off from New York, he faced a wet first night sailing past the coast of Long Island.
"I have to say, I haven't had much sleep so far and am feeling pretty exhausted at the moment," he said.
"I haven't eaten much since we set off from New York, but feel I should go now and break into my supplies."
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
