Based in Mentone Australia, Neil is 48 years old. Over the years Neil has run up 30,000 miles of ocean sailing experience. Breaking it down, Neil has done 13,000 mils of crewed ocean sailing, 8,000 miles of double-handing and 9,000 miles of single-handing.
The 30,000 ocean miles include the Melbourne to Osaka (Japan) double-handed race, the Osaka-Melbourne return race sailed single-handed, the Melbourne to Auckland, the double-handed Sydney to Hobart Race,and the double-handed Melbourne to Hobart race.
Neil first thought of sailing in Around Alone in 1991. In September of '91 he sailed the Melbourne-Osaka double-handed race. The completion of this race gave Neil the confidence he needed to begin think of sailing Around Alone (at that time called the BOC).
Neil will sail a Farr 40. Paladin II was built in 1985 by Peter Milner in Perth Australia. She has had a frequent and successful racing career. Paladin has sailed 7 Sydney to Hobart races winning in 1987, and 3 Melbourne to Hobart races winning in 1991. Paladin sports a 3/4 fractional rig and displaces 7 tons.
Although Paladin II is a solid boat, she certainly isn't as new, glamorous or high tech as some of Around Alone's entrants. Neil answers doubts about his yacht this way: "The most commonly asked question I get is whether or not 'Paladin' is the best, or right yacht to do the race in. Well, the simple answer to that question is that 'Paladin' is the perfect yacht, because it is my only yacht. In December 1995 I sailed 'Paladin' single-handed from Melbourne to Sydney, prior to the start of the 1995 Sydney to Hobart yacht race, so that both 'Paladin and I could get to know each other and see if we 'liked' each other enough to tackle a BOC. We got on OK during that trip and have since then refined our working relationship with further ventures, crewed and alone, into Bass Strait.
Neil has now left his home base of
Australia. As of July 1st Neil had successfully single-handed Paladin to Papetee in
the Society Islands. This was a 3,000 mile voyage exceeding the criteria of a 2,000
mile qualifying voyage. At Papetee he picked up a crew of 4 and began sailing to
Panama and the Canal. Unfortunately 2 of the crew took ill and were dropped on
Easter Island. Neil continues with crew towards Panama. He expects to be in
Charleston the 3rd week of August.
Paladin in training Neil Hunter In Harbor