“It’s incredible. I’ve never experienced that in my life…It’s the most beautiful finish line of my entire career”. In Charlie Dalin’s eyes the emotion is palpable. Asked about his boat, the Norman skipper, based in Port-la-Forêt in Finistère, is savoring this victory. It took him 64 days 19 hours 22 minutes and 49 seconds to cross the finish line of what is nicknamed the Everest of the seas, a legendary non-stop and unassisted world tour.
A shattered record
Charlie Dalin does not just offer himself a victory, the navigator smashes, in the process, by more than nine days the record established by Armel le Cléac’h during the 2016-2017 edition. The fruit of hard work. “We have been living the Vendée Globe for 4 years.” Very quickly, Charlie Dalin’s thoughts turned to his team “the best in the world” and towards his boat, Macif santé Prévoyance, “a jewel”.
A great revenge for Charlie Dalin. 4 years ago, the skipper crossed the finish line in first position before finally being classified second behind Yannick Bestaven who had received compensation for having participated in the rescue of Kévin Escoffier.
I feel like I’ve done a 48 hour race, it was so intense.
The big winner of this edition is expected to face the public at the beginning of the afternoon. Yoann Richomme, in turn, should cross the finish line during the night. The skipper of Paprec Arkéa, who led the duel in the lead with Charlie Dalin until the end, is preparing to take second place. “The advent of exceptional sailors”greets Yann Eliès. The confirmation also, for the browser, “from the foil era.” “A hymn to audacity and human greatness”for his part reacted the President of the Republic.
