Grant Dalton wins prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award 2014

by Sail-World on 16 Jan 2014
Top international sailing magazine Yachts and Yachting (UK) has announced the Emirates Team New Zealand MD, Grant Dalton has won its Lifetime Achievement Award for 2014.

Dalton's international sailing career began with the 1981/82 Whitbread Round the World Race aboard winner Flyer II, when he was 22 years old.

In its commentary Yachts and Yachting wrote: 'Grant Dalton is a sailor of determination, and it is a determination that is infectious, as he demonstrates in every team with which he is associated.

'His first big chance was born out of rejection, after Peter Blake turned him down for a crewing job in the 1977-78 Whitbread Round the World Race.

'However, Cornelius van Reitschoten eventually gave him his break for that race (after repeated application letters) aboard Flyer – Dalton impressed and has not looked back since.

'His reaction to rejection by Blake was only to become more driven and this philosophy still pervades his thinking – a ‘get up and go’ attitude which stimulates all around him and is one of the main factors he was recognised by the Yachts & Yachting editorial team as the recipient of the Y&Y Lifetime Achievement Award.

'Since 2003 – when he was called in to restructure the team – Dalton has been the CEO of Team New Zealand. His passionate ‘kiwi and proud’ attitude captured the hearts of sailors and spectators around the world in the America’s Cup in the summer of 2013, earning Emirates Team New Zealand a huge groundswell of support. The Cup may have slipped from their grasp, but the passion and determination of the man who led the team made a lasting Website