Charlie Dalin not only impressed everyone on the water, but he also shines in press conferences! Despite the fatigue, he delivers sharp analyses and carefully chooses his words. With his victory, he is more open about the 2020 Vendée Globe and the controversial second-place finish, which fueled his performance in the 2024 edition.
2020: A Second Place That Stuck...
"In 2020, I was the first to hold a press conference in the room adorned with portraits of winners, but I knew that four years later, it wouldn't be my photo on the walls. That thought crossed my mind, although I was still happy to have completed the Vendée Globe, finished my first solo circumnavigation, and reunited with everyone. Now, four years later, I am again the first to hold this conference. But this time, hopefully, in four years, my photo will be on the walls of the room, and that's cool!"
An IMOCA Beyond Perfect
"I was fortunate to build a new boat tailored for this solo round-the-world race, a boat developed based on the experience gained in the 2020 Vendée Globe. It's a boat perfectly suited for the course, very comfortable with its rear living area. It was very pleasant, even in the Southern seas, it was enjoyable. I was in my little cocoon, in my small bubble at the back. It's a very airy boat, optimized for early foiling. We made a big leap forward compared to Apivia in terms of downwind performance." "The Vendée Globe is a race that largely takes place in the Atlantic, so we needed a versatile boat capable of performing in all conditions. I'm happy with this choice; it's a boat that performs very well and has quite an easy glide. A beautiful boat indeed! Moreover, I could push it really hard. Even though I had a 1.50m crack in the hull, it was fixed in two hours during a pit stop. It was amazing to be able to push the boat like that. It felt like sailing in a Figaro boat again. In Figaro races, you often prefer to sail with a reefed sail rather than taking a reef when the wind picks up. Now, we do the same in IMOCA, sailing full throttle all the time."
My Final Hours at Sea...
"I savored every moment until the end, including these final hours, because even though I was very happy to arrive, crossing the finish line also marked the end of this Vendée Globe. I enjoyed it to the fullest last night; I treated myself by heading offshore a bit. It might have been much faster passing inside the islands, but it was okay; it allowed me to take slightly longer naps and enjoy watching the boat glide under the moonlight in light winds. I think it delayed my arrival a bit, but in the end, it gave us an incredible light on the finish line, so it was worth it."
The Future in Sight?
"I don't rule out participating in a new Vendée Globe in 2028. I will first enjoy this victory, and we'll see. The Route du Rhum next year is definitely an objective! An Ultim project? It's not on the table at the moment, but these boats are fantastic. Maybe one day?"
In the Eye of the Storm...
"That big depression south of the Kerguelen... I think only three boats could handle it: Seb, Yoann, and me. Four years ago, if I had faced the same depression in the Indian Ocean, I don't think I would have gone there. In fact, I had avoided the Theta storm, a tropical depression we encountered south of the Azores, and it's something I regretted. This time, when I saw this system approaching, I hesitated for a long time, but I knew I had to go because it was the right option. Yoann and I exchanged a few words during the race. He told me he hesitated to go there... I managed to pass through, but you couldn't afford any technical issues that would slow down the boat because behind it, we faced really harsh conditions... After that episode, I had to push hard to avoid being trapped by the anticyclone that blocked the others."
The Record Belongs to the Winner
"Although several of us could beat the reference time, only the winner breaks the record. It's a nice bonus... We sailed really fast! The South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean flew by in a snap. We've made a leap with these boats, and it's truly enjoyable to play with weather systems as we did. This used to be something reserved for multihulls before. I knew our boats were capable of completing the race in less than 70 days. I was convinced of that. Going down to 64, I wouldn't have bet on that!"
My Mental Toolkit
"I realized that the mental aspect was crucial in the first edition. Before embarking on this Vendée Globe, I listed the tough mental situations I faced four years ago and consulted a specialized coach. We created a toolbox categorized by theme: fatigue, breakdowns, strategic decisions. So, every time I encountered one of these challenges, I could open my notebook and find the right solution, the right tool. It was great to have this mental pharmacy at hand, never far from me in my living area."
A Pragmatic Sailor... Evolving
"The overwhelming emotions at the finish line were incredible. Normally, I'm not very sentimental with boats; it's not my style to talk to the boat or kiss it on the finish line. And I don't know, this year, I found myself talking to it occasionally. I allowed myself to be a little less pragmatic, a bit more emotional in the moment."
Keeping Fatigue at Bay
"My perception of my fatigue level is probably influenced by the euphoria of victory, but I think I'm a bit less tired than four years ago. This year, once the boat was set up and sailing at a good speed, all I did was dive into my bunk to sleep, sleep, sleep because you never get enough sleep. And in fact, I did that throughout the race."
Yoann Crept into My Mind
"It was really close. It happened near Cabo Frio, Brazil, a place with very tricky weather conditions. One thing for sure is that in the latter part of the Southern Ocean, I wasn't sailing as I usually do. I was sailing like Johan. He kind of got into my head at that moment. When I entered the Atlantic, I did a bit of a reset; I changed some parts on the boat in advance, thinking, let's replace these parts, they will be stressed on the Atlantic climb, even though they were still working. And I tried to do the same mentally, start afresh and sail according to my habits, my trajectories. It worked out well for me."
Significant Gaps... Not So Surprising
"When asked if I'm surprised by the gaps, I would say yes and no. In a way, the boats are getting faster when conditions are favorable and equally slow when they are unfavorable. So yes, it can lead to significant gaps in the end. But it doesn't reflect a 'skill gap' between Yohann, me, and the others. It's more about them being unlucky from the Indian Ocean onwards. Then there's a chain reaction. We had a rather virtuous, incredible series of events. I think we didn't experience the same; we didn't face the same Southern seas. I had quite an exceptional Southern experience, never more than 40 knots of wind. Some hail showers, but nothing too violent."
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