Charlie Dalin
The new master of the oceans
The skipper of the IMOCA MACIF Santé Prévoyance wins, this Tuesday 14 January 2025 in Les Sables d’Olonne, the tenth edition of the Vendée Globe, the world’s most extreme and longest sailing race.
Victorious in a final duel at the summit, against his compatriot Yoann Richomme, the Frenchman, equipped with OCEAN MASTER sunglasses, has just conquered the Everest of the seas in record time: 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 49 seconds. An immense achievement. Bravo Charlie!
Charlie Dalin pulls off a feat never before seen in the history of the race: he is the first skipper ever to cross the finish line of the Vendée Globe—the solo, non-stop, unassisted round the world race—in the lead in two consecutive editions. Runner-up to Yannick Bestaven in 2020–2021 due to time compensation*, Charlie is crowned king this time. It’s a victory he long coveted and now relishes with the satisfaction of a job perfectly done, shattering by more than nine days Armel Le Cléac’h’s record, another Julbo skipper (74 days in 2016-2017). After a race of rare intensity, which he led almost from start to finish, he thus becomes the fastest solo sailor on the planet!
“I am the happiest man in the world”
The first words of Charlie Dalin on his arrival:
"It’s a whirlwind of emotions! It’s an incredible and unique moment! This finish line, with daylight just breaking, is the most beautiful of my entire career by far. I’ve dreamed of this since the day after the 2020–2021 Vendée Globe. It’s four years of work with my team, the best in the world. Four years living flat out for this, to design this magnificent boat, conceive it, perfect it. I really had a gem in my hands to complete this round the world. Every time I had a problem, I was able to solve it, bring the boat back to 100%, and keep pushing hard. And here it is, we’ve achieved our goal. It’s a huge joy to be back in Les Sables with this record as well. It feels like I left just the day before yesterday, it was such an intense and fast race. The Vendée Globe is legendary. I am the happiest man in the world today."
A masterstroke in the Deep South
It was on the border between the Roaring Forties and the Furious Fifties, in the realm of the albatross, after having sped madly down the South Atlantic, that Charlie Dalin first gained the upper hand over his competitors. By flirting with the heart of a gigantic depression, pushing his beautiful bird to its maximum in the Indian Ocean, he may well have won the strategic—if not psychological—battle over his eternal rival, Yoann Richomme (Arkéa-Paprec). While the latter managed to catch up and even overtake him, thanks to more favourable weather in the Pacific, beating him by a mere nine minutes at Cape Horn, the Julbo skipper always displayed absolute control. In the lead at Cape of Good Hope (29 November), Cape Leeuwin (9 December), Point Nemo (20 December)—the most remote spot from any land—and then again when crossing the Equator on the way back (5 January), utterly confident in his abilities, he never doubted. At forty, he clinches the ultimate grail of solo sailing. The most beautiful victory in his eyes. Well done, champion!
High-definition vision in all weather conditions
To give Charlie Dalin a clear view to the horizon and protect his eyes at all times, we designed innovative, cutting-edge products especially for him. As he races at breakneck speed aboard his flying monohull, the OCEAN MASTER sunglasses and their SPECTRON HD 4 lens—high-definition, polarised, and hydrophobic—accompany him in his pursuit of ultimate performance.
ULTIMATE COVER, SHIELD (sizes M and L), CAMINO (sizes M and L): these three iconic models of the brand have been reimagined to meet the needs of sailors and water sports enthusiasts. Their wraparound, lightweight, ventilated frames, with curved temples, feature removable side shields to provide total protection against intense sunlight, glare from the water, wind, and spray. For a better fit, they can be paired with a neoprene floating strap (included)—particularly useful when racing at full speed.
Photos: @Maxime Horlaville / Disobey / Macif
