Neil Hunter © Foto Marek Slodownik
Neil Hunter © Foto Marek Slodownik
At 7.44 p.m. local time, Hunter crossed the finish line after 61 days, 1 hour, 29 minutes and 51 seconds at sea. Hunter looked happy to have arrived just two days before the Saturday, 28th of November. He said that he never worried about making the deadline. With his time he took seventh place, bumping the earlier arrived Yazykov and Davie behind him due to their time penalties. He was the last Class 2 boat to finish the first leg. Only Konioukhov was still at sea with 156 miles to go.
Paladin II © Foto Billy Black
Less than three weeks before the start Hunter's boat was dismasted by a microburst
triggered by hurricane Earl. Hunter was caught with his mast shrouds partially
disconnected for some ongoing repairs. The mast went down creating a hole in his boat deck
and damaging a fellow competitor's yacht moored alongside.
Neil Hunter © Foto Billy Black
Hunter was devastated. He had sailed 13,000 miles just to get to Charleston for the start. He had no sponsor except some help from an Australian TV. But with the help of enthusiastic Americans he was able to find a matching mast in Newport, RI and use it as a replacement for his 40 foot long boat build in 1985.
Neil Hunter © Foto Marek Slodownik
Before 49 years old Hunter left Australia, he quit his job and sold everything he owned to
do the Around Alone race. The first leg was a great racing experience for him, but he said
that next time he would definitely sail it differently.
© Foto Richard Konkolski
Place |
Skiper |
Boat |
Latitude |
Longitude |
Dist. to go |
Speed |
Dist. to first |
Time |
1 |
Golding |
Team Group 4 |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Autissier |
PRB |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
Thiercelin |
Somewhere |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
Hall |
PRB |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
Soldini |
Fila |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
Konioukhov |
Mod Univ Human |
34 19S |
015 19E |
156 |
4.5 |
155.6 |
1847 |
7 |
Reidl |
Project Amazon |
Retired |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Place |
Skiper |
Boat |
Latitude |
Longitude |
Dist. to go |
Speed |
Dist. to first |
Time |
1 |
Mouligne |
Cray Valley |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Garside |
Magellan Alpha |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
Van Liew |
Balance Bar |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
Stricker |
Rapscallion III |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
Yazykov |
Wind of Change |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
Petersen |
No Barriers |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
Saito |
Shuten-dohji II |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
Davie |
South Caroline |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
Hunter |
Paladin II |
Cape |
Town |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Copyright © Richard Konkolski
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