Record Vendee Globe winner Charlie Dalin dies aged 42 after cancer battle
French sailor and reigning Vendee Globe champion Charlie Dalin has died at the age of 42 following a long battle with a rare form of gastrointestinal cancer.
The accomplished yachtsman secured his historic victory in the 2024-25 edition of the non-stop round-the-world race while actively undergoing immunotherapy treatment.
He completed the gruelling 24,300-mile route in an astonishing 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 49 seconds.
That incredible feat shattered the previous record set by Armel Le Cleac’h in 2017 by more than nine days.
A profound loss for the sailing community
“It is with deep sadness that my family and I announce the passing of my husband, Charlie Dalin, following a long illness.”
That poignant message was shared with AFP on Thursday by his wife, Perrine Le Pape.
She and their son, Oscar, had famously joined the record-breaker aboard his boat as he crossed the finish line to claim the 10th edition of the legendary solo race in January 2025.
Overcoming heartbreak and illness
The French mariner had previously suffered bitter disappointment during the 2020-21 competition.
Despite crossing the line first on that occasion, he was ultimately relegated to second place after Yannick Bestaven received a time bonus for assisting in a mid-ocean rescue.
Medical struggles then forced the offshore specialist to withdraw from the Transat Jacques Vabre in late 2023.
It was only last October that he publicly revealed his diagnosis in a deeply personal book.
Within those pages, the oceanic racer chronicled his fight with the disease, confirming he had received life-extending treatment throughout his monumental globe-conquering voyage.