Bad Times

Most of you know a bit of the story with Graham Dalton (yes, the other Dalton), and his unsuccessful and now aborted Around Alone effort. As with a lot of interesting events, it is often the story within the story that is of real intrigue. We don't know much about the following scenario, but this particular piece comes from a reader who claims that it is so. -Ed.

1. Dalton COULD continue the race, but that would mean renting Kingfisher's mast for about 100K (sterling). That's about what it costs to build one for an Open 60, and the Team Kingfisher fellows are afraid (rightly so) that Graham would break another one, theirs, and hence the high rental fee.
2. HSBC gave him all his sponsorship cash up front many months ago (big mistake, it should have been doled out leg by leg and had performance clauses).
3. He told HSBC after his last mast broke (that was his spare) that to continue they'd have to pay for the rental.
4. HSBC told him to fuck off, and by the way, if he wanted to continue on his own he should take their logo off, as he's become a source of acute embarrassment to them for several reasons:
   • He can't sail for shit.
   • He is, without question, the most arrogant, swaggering asshole the world has ever seen. Everyone who comes into any extended contact with him, especially in a PR, marketing or business capacity, HATES the guy. (One telling episode: at the start in NYC, as the boats were heading to the start line, photographer Billy Black, a very nice guy, was taking photos of the boats and sailors. all the others, particularly our mutual friend Bruce, smiled, waved, etc. Graham was screaming obscenities at Billy to get out of his way.
5. He has stashed away a ton of money from HSBC, doesn't want to part with any of it to finish the race.
6. More than one person has opined that some idiot at HSBC thought he was getting the REAL Dalton. "Gosh, first three letters are the same, he's in sailing, I'm sure I've heard of him....."