Graham Dalton misses Velux 5-Oceans Race deadline to restart race 23/4/07

Velux 5-Ocean Race competitor Graham Dalton who is struggling to complete Leg 2, has missed yesterday’s deadline for completing the race. By missing the 1220 local time (1620 GMT) timeframe Dalton is theoretically unable to start leg 3. The race rules state that not only must he start leg 3 within seven days of the official start but must also spend 72 hours in the host port.

When Dalton finally arrives in Norfolk to complete leg two, he will either decide to retire from the race or choose to start to Bilbao and in doing so break one of the rules, either leaving before the mandatory stop over of 72 hours has elapsed or leaving after the one week start window has expired. If Dalton breaks one of these rules, he will be subject to a protest from race organisers and/or one of the other skippers, which will then be ruled upon by the jury.

Dalton is still over 300 miles away from the Norfolk finish, doing 11 knots and expected to arrive on Wednesday.