A few hours after his triumph at the finish line of the Vendée Globe, Charlie Dalin sailed up the Sables-d’Olonne channel on Tuesday January 14.
A festive parade in front of thousands of spectators, who came to celebrate its record-breaking 64-day epic.
He can finally enjoy it fully. Forced to wait offshore, due to low tide preventing him from mooring in the Sables-d’Olonne marina, Charlie Dalin was able to go up the channel on Tuesday January 14, early in the afternoon. noon. A grand parade more than seven hours after crossing the fictitious finish line of the Vendée Globe in the lead, in a record time of 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 46 seconds. Rested and smiling, skipper Macif communicated for a long time with a compact crowd.
Shortly before 2 p.m., under a bright winter sun, the Norman navigator was celebrated with a grandiose blue-white-red fireworks display, fired in his honor. He then sailed up the channel to the cheers of thousands of people, who had been waiting for him since mid-morning on either side of the two-kilometre-long passage.
On the deck of his sailboat, Charlie Dalin enjoyed the spectacle on land, at the quayside or on the balconies of buildings, where “Bravo Charlie” banners were waving. The 2024-2025 winner then came forward to greet the crowd, red distress flares in hand and with the soundtrack “The Earth is round” by Orelsan. Quite a symbol. “I’m really happy to be here with you and to have an unconfined arrival”he exulted, once back on the cow floor, in reference to the 2021 edition under Covid. “It’s fabulous!”
