Charlie Dalin, the French offshore sailor who conquered the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe, has died. He was 52.
Dalin crossed the finish line at Les Sables d’Olonne in January 2025 after 64 days, 19 hours and 22 minutes at sea. He led for much of the circumnavigation, a victory that will endure as one of the defining moments in the race’s four-decade history. The Vendée Globe organisation announced his death on 11 June.
A career built methodically across multiple seasons and every ocean made Dalin a fixture in offshore racing’s upper reaches. He carried a fighter’s temperament into some of the world’s most hostile waters, and he carried it into the personal battle he waged away from the race course. Both campaigns demanded everything.
Dalin inspired generations of sailors and a far wider audience who followed his progress across the Southern Ocean. His name became synonymous with the kind of relentless preparation and mental toughness that the Vendée Globe demands from those brave or stubborn enough to attempt it.
Alain Lebœuf, president of the Vendée Globe, said his respect for Dalin extended far beyond the podium. “Behind the champion, I don’t forget the man, and the respect he inspired in everyone who knew him,” Lebœuf said. “I think of his wife, his son, all his family. I offer them, on behalf of the entire organisation, my support, my deepest respect and my affection during this trial.”
The Vendée Globe organisation stood with Dalin’s family and close friends in their grief, respecting their privacy during the mourning period ahead.
