Sailing Champion Passes
French sailing legend Charlie Dalin, Vendee Globe record holder, dies at 42 after cancer battle
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Charlie Dalin, the French sailor who won the Vendée Globe in record time while secretly fighting cancer, has died at the age of 42. AP News confirmed his passing on June 11, 2026, in Quimper, France, following a two-and-a-half-year battle with gastrointestinal cancer.
Dalin won the 2024–2025 Vendée Globe — a solo, non-stop, round-the-world race — in 64 days, 19 hours, and 22 minutes. That shattered the previous record by more than nine days. What the world did not know at the time: Dalin completed the race while taking daily immunotherapy pills for a 15-centimeter tumor on his small intestine.
A Secret Battle Fought on the Open Sea
Dalin was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumor in autumn 2023 after suffering intense abdominal pain, according to The Washington Post. He told almost no one. Only his wife, Perrine Le Pape, and his oncologist knew. He stashed a three-month supply of immunotherapy medication in his cabin before the race started on November 10, 2024.
He kept the secret even after crossing the finish line. During post-race press conferences, he said nothing about his diagnosis. He finally revealed the truth in his 2025 memoir, Boating New Zealand reported. In the book, he wrote: "I wanted to be judged strictly as a competitor, not a patient."
Heartbreak in 2021 Made the 2025 Win Personal
Dalin's victory was also a form of redemption. In the 2020–2021 Vendée Globe, he crossed the finish line first — but did not win. Fellow sailor Yannick Bestaven received a 10-hour time credit for helping rescue a stranded competitor mid-ocean, according to Newsday. That credit bumped Bestaven ahead of Dalin in the final standings.
Dalin came back four years later with a new, highly advanced IMOCA 60 yacht called MACIF Santé Prévoyance. He averaged 17.79 knots across 27,668 nautical miles. His closest rival, Yoann Richomme, finished more than nine days behind him.
World Leaders and Sailors Pay Tribute
French President Emmanuel Macron led the tributes. He said Dalin "had conquered the Vendée Globe, carrying in silence another combat" and called him "a guiding light on the open sea," according to WCNC. In January 2026, World Sailing named Dalin its Rolex World Sailor of the Year.
Richomme, who finished second in the race, said he was "deeply impressed by your perseverance and optimism, right up to your final days." Vendée Globe president Alain Lebœuf said Dalin left "an indelible mark on the history of the Vendée Globe, through his talent and his fighting spirit," WV News reported.
His Secrecy Now Sparks a Debate About Safety at Sea
Dalin's choice to hide his diagnosis has opened a wider conversation. Sports analysts and medical experts are now asking whether races like the Vendée Globe should require full medical disclosure. Dalin reportedly feared that sponsors and organizers would see him as a liability, according to The Washington Post.
One doctor who spoke after the race put it plainly: "Medicine is not an exact science. We can never know if participating in this race allowed us to prolong Charlie's life or shorten it." Dalin was just 42 years old. He is survived by his wife. Funeral arrangements are being finalized in France.
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