Grant Dalton, born in Auckland, started sailing at eight in the P Class at Maraetai Sailing Club. He competed in five Whitbread Round the World Races: Flyer II (1981-82), Lion New Zealand (1985-86), Fisher & Paykel (1989-90), NZ Endeavour (1993-94) and Merit Cup (1997-98), then the 2001-02 edition on Amer Sports One.
He skippered the maxi catamaran Club Med in The Race, the no-limits round-the-world event that started on 1 January 2001 and finished on 3 March. The boat set several records, including the 24-hour distance (656 nautical miles) and the fastest circumnavigation (62 days and 7 hours).
After New Zealand lost the America's Cup in 2003, he was brought in to restructure Team New Zealand, becoming manager then CEO, winning the 2017, 2021 and 2024 editions. Appointed OBE in 1995, he also raced motorcycles at the Isle of Man (Manx GP, Classic TT) in 2014-2015.
