Charlie Dalin: "Today I am the happiest man in the world."

Well, the emotions are indescribable. It’s the result of so much work! I’m happy to have won this Vendée Globe, this veritable monument of ocean racing, and to join this very exclusive club of winners. Four years ago, I came very close, but Yannick (Bestaven) won. This time, it’s me, and it’s a victory for the entire MACIF team. It’s great!” I am the happiest man in the world today, that’s for sure. These are crazy emotions, I’ve never felt like this before. Crossing the line with the dawn light shining on perfectly smooth water, the boat gliding along. It was simply fabulous. An explosion of emotions in my head: immense joy. It is, by far, the most beautiful finish of my entire career!

It’s a mixture of euphoria, immense joy and pride, especially for the work done by the whole team and the unconditional support of MACIF. We fought for four years for this project. From the design of the boat to its development, including its optimization, it’s a collective effort. I had a lot of fun on the water. I was very lucky on this round the world race: the boat comes back in perfect condition. It is still at 100% of its potential, with its two foils, all its sails and its systems functional. Of course, I had some problems, but I managed to repair or replace everything. This allowed me to sail up the Atlantic in race mode. Competition was exactly what I was looking for in this Vendée Globe. The confrontation with Yoann (Richomme) was exceptional. Between us, it was decided by very little, off Cape Frio, a place where the weather models are very bad or even zero. In the end I beat this record thanks to him, because we constantly pushed ourselves to find the best of ourselves. Until the end, nothing was won. We sailed at full power throughout the entire round the world, which forced us to maintain an incredible pace. I feel like I left the day before yesterday. It's fabulous to be able to share this finish with you, especially in a non-confined context. A big thank you to MACIF for its unwavering support and to the whole team for their exceptional work. This victory is above all that of the whole MACIF team.

Yes and no. The boats are so fast when the conditions are favourable and slow when they are not! This gap is hard for them. It is not a reflection of a gap in level between us. They were not as blessed by the weather in the Indian Ocean. They found themselves a little behind at a time when they should not have been. For Yoann and I, everything from then on followed on quite virtuously, while for them, a rather bad downwards spiral followed on. We didn't experience the same Vendée Globe. In the Big South I never had more than 40 knots. I really experienced quite exceptional conditions. I probably had the easiest Southern Ocean of the entire fleet.
 

The only injury to me was a a sailmaker's needle that I stuck deep into my thumb while repairing a sail near New Zealand. I was afraid it would get infected, but everything went well. I was sometimes thrown forward because of the boat's movements, but I never seriously injured myself. I even think I'm a little less tired than four years ago, no doubt thanks to experience. That said, this euphoria right now means it probably masks my real fatigue!
 

Breaking the record is the cherry on the cake. The main objective was always to win. I knew that the boats were capable of going around the world in less than 70 days, but 64? It’s crazy! We achieved some pretty fabulous averages. We have certainly set a new level with these boats and it’s really enjoyable to play with the systems. It’s a privilege that was previously reserved for multihulls. This new situation really allows the Vendée Globe to visit a new dimension. Furthermore, the weather conditions were very favorable, particularly in the South and on the way up the Atlantic. I will remember that monster depression in the Indian Ocean for a long time. It was decisive. I chose to surf it to stay in the lead, and it paid off. Then, the battle with Yoann until the finish was memorable.

The descent of the Atlantic remains a magical moment. Sailing solo on this magnificent boat was extraordinary. Other moments left their mark on me, like rounding Cape Horn during the day or dealing with the big depression in the Indian Ocean. Even if it was exhausting, it was fascinating. The battle with Yoann in the Pacific and the Atlantic was incredible, it reminded me of our years in the Figaro. There were no shortage of difficult moments, like repairing a crucial sail in extreme conditions near New Zealand or dealing with a 1.50 m crack on the hull which required a composite repair.  (ndlr Dalin also variously mentioned a hydraulic ram issues, a halyard replacement, a clutch replacement and a pilot ram issue, all of which he repaired with relative ease) Fortunately, each problem we had a  solution for which allowed me to continue to attack.

Really at the last moment. Four years ago until the last afternoon, I thought I would win but Yannick finally won. This time, I only allowed myself to believe it when I crossed the line!

Why not? I don’t rule it out. Four years ago, the desire to return was immediate but the pattern was different: I had just come within 2h 30min of victory. This time, I’m just going to enjoy the feeling of success of this one.

Firstly, I’m going to welcome Yoann and Seb (Simon). Then – probably next week – I’m going to enjoy being able to crash out on my sofa, even if I think I’ll soon be back in the Mer Concept offices to debrief on the race and decide on the modifications to be made to the boat to make it even more efficient for the next two seasons.