Yachting: Repair stop proves costly for Dalton

New Zealand skipper Grant Dalton yesterday lost the lead in The Race after stopping to repair his catamaran in the Atlantic.

Dalton's boat Club Med suffered damage to the mainsheet traveller and had to stop for two hours, losing the lead in the non-stop circumnavigation to American Cam Lewis on Team Adventure.

"Today's lesson, if we needed one, was how quickly things can change out here," Dalton said yesterday.

"There's no opportunity to ease back a little - and prevent costly breakages - because Team Adventure are going so well. They are about nine miles ahead of us now, and further south - exactly where we didn't want them."

Club Med was back sailing at full pace after the stop, averaging between 26 and 32 knots.