It is with deep sorrow that we learn of the passing of French sailor Charlie Dalin, record winner of the last Vendée Globe. The great sailing champion passed away this morning in Quimper (Finistère) at the age of 42 following a gastrointestinal tumor.
He had been diagnosed with the disease in the fall of 2023, a year before the Vendée Globe. As recounted by Dalin himself, treatment had begun almost immediately, allowing him to return to the boat to train after a few months and even be able to prepare for his second Vendée Globe, which he would go on to win with a record 64 days 19 hours 22 minutes 49 seconds, dominating the race. After the round-the-world race, however, his health had deteriorated, but last fall some public appearances had suggested that the situation had improved, before today’s sad news.
Who was Charlie Dalin
Born in Le Havre on May 10, 1984, Charlie Dalin first got on an Optimist when he was only six years old, despite the fact that sailing is not part of his family tradition. Racing comes relatively late in his life: in fact, it was around age 15 that he discovered competition, beginning to compete on 420s. Just before the age of 20, he also approaches offshore sailing, a real institution in France, and the move to the Mini 6.50s is almost natural. It is here that the first important results come: he wins the Transgascogne twice , first in doubles and then solo, and in 2008 he finishes second in the Mini Transat.
His qualities did not go unnoticed and opened the doors to him at the prestigious pôle Finistère Course au Large in Port-la-Forêt, a veritable hothouse of champions from which the likes of Michel Desjoyeaux emerged.
Parallel to his sports career, Dalin built an equally important path ashore. He majored in naval architecture at Solent University in Southampton, an education that would prove decisive for his future. In fact, thanks to the technical skills he gained, he will be able to contribute firsthand to the development of the IMOCAs with which he will race in the following years. His first professional experiences come as a designer in the Ericsson Racing Team and Oman Air.
Meanwhile, he continues to collect results. With the switch to the Figaro class, he won two second places and three third places at the prestigious Solitaire du Figaro. A series of placings that helps build the reputation, as unfair as it is persistent, of “eternal second”-a label that will stay with him in his later years in IMOCA, despite his talent being unanimously recognized.
His adventure in the IMOCA class began in 2015 under the guidance of mentor Yann Eliès. Three years later, in 2018, the Apivia project decides to bet on him and provides him with a new boat. With that same boat, Dalin crosses the finish line of the 2020-2021 Vendée Globe first, but the victory is awarded to Yannick Bestaven after counting the time bonuses granted for the rescue of Kevin Escoffier.
From that moment, the run-up to his destiny takes shape. At his side is still MACIF, which had supported him back in his Figaro days, and the technical support of MerConcept, the structure created by François Gabart. All the elements seem to align to finally close the circle and shed the name of eternal second.
And Dalin does it in the clearest way possible: by dominating. He sails at a higher level, setting his own pace from start to finish and turning an extreme challenge into a show of strength. He doesn’t just win: he inspires an entire generation of sailors and enthusiasts.
Thank you for everything, King Charles.
Mauro Giuffrè
