Charlie Dalin, Vendée Globe record winner, dies at 42 after secretly battling cancer

A career crowned by the Vendée Globe

Charlie Dalin, born in Le Havre and a naval architecture graduate from the University of Southampton, dedicated his life to mastering the “Everest of the seas.” In the 2021 edition he crossed the line first after 80 days at sea, only to see Yannick Bestaven take the crown after a 10-hour time bonus for a rescue mission. Four years later, Dalin left no doubt. Aboard his MACIF Santé Prévoyance yacht, he smashed the previous record set by Armel Le Cléac’h by more than nine days, completing the solo, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation in 64 days, 19 hours and 22 minutes. He led the fleet for 42 of those days.

A secret illness aboard

What the public did not know at the time was that Dalin had been diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) in 2023. With doctors’ clearance and adapted medication, he carried the disease with him across 24,000 nautical miles, telling almost no one. He chose to reveal the truth only after the victory.

“If the doctors had had any doubts, I would not have set off. I would not have taken any risk with my wife and son. Sailing is my job. They were happy that I went back to sea.”

Tributes from across the sailing world

French President Emmanuel Macron called Dalin “an extraordinary sailor, a rare example of courage, a guiding light on the open sea.” Vendée Globe president Alain Leboeuf said his talent and fighting spirit left “an indelible mark on the race’s history.” Yoann Richomme, Dalin’s closest rival in the 2024-25 race, posted a heartfelt farewell.

“What a remarkable fight you waged against this cruel illness. I am deeply impressed by your perseverance and optimism, right up to your final days. Our battles on the water … led us to that fierce contest during the last Vendée Globe, which thrilled us so much.”

Yann Eliès, who won the Transat Jacques Vabre with Dalin and later became his co-skipper, remembered him as “an exceptional human being, an exceptional sailor” and a boat designer “who will leave a trace.”

“We were never worried with him; we knew he would design an extraordinary machine, all finesse and detail.”

An architect of his own success

Dalin’s legacy is not only in his victories but in the two IMOCA yachts he helped conceive—Apivia and MACIF. Jeanne Grégoire, director of the Finistère offshore racing centre where Dalin trained, described him as “a model of commitment for an entire generation.” His wife Perrine Le Pape, who announced his death, asked for the family’s privacy to be respected. The mayor of Concarneau announced a condolence book would open at the town hall on Friday.