Yachting: Crew giving skipper Dalton the curry

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Grant Dalton hates hot food.

He won't allow spices on board his boats. The crew have to cook chilli con carne without the chilli.

So you can imagine his ire when he found out yesterday that the crew on board giant catamaran Club Med have ordered a Vindaloo curry to be waiting for Dalton the minute he steps on land after nine weeks at sea.

On Sunday afternoon (NZ time) Dalton expects to cross the finish line of The Race off the French port of Marseilles - completing the non-stop round-the-world race in a record-shattering 63 days.

He has "demoralised" the nearest crew on Innovation Explorer, now almost 1000 miles behind.

Now Dalton's thoughts are of real food, playing with his two children and finally changing the T-shirt he has worn since the start on New Year's Day.

"I don't sense the guys even realise that it's nearly over," he said. "This time next week we'll be at a big party in a Paris nightclub. But there's not a lot of talk of the finish. All I can think of is a burger and chips."

The men on board Club Med are confident that they will collect the trophy for first boat home in the inaugural Race, but they still have an eye on Innovation Explorer.

"We're keeping between the man and the hoop," Dalton said. "But we've also got to keep the boat together.

"The other night a backstay snapped without warning. If it had been an upper one, it would have brought down the mast.

"The old girl is tired now. We have to look after her to the end."

But it won't be the end for the 33m yacht. Another shot at the transatlantic record has been pencilled in before Dalton starts his seventh round-the-world venture - the Volvo Ocean Race in September.

"I'm very glad I have done this race - I would probably do it again, too. But then I have always said the next Volvo is my last one.

"And maybe this will be the last Volvo. It's getting too complicated and too expensive. And there are too many stopovers.

"Conceptually, The Race has a lot going for it. I think it could take over next time."

Yesterday Club Med was riding a low-pressure system off the Canary Islands, 1500 miles from the finish.

The weather men, navigator Mike Quilter and meteorologist Roger Badham, were predicting the boat would be pushed along by strong tailwinds in the Straits of Gibraltar.

Innovation Explorer lost almost 300 miles overnight as they sailed into a calm patch.