Sailing-Still hungry Dalin back to defend IMOCA crown
Charlie Dalin, fresh from rewriting the Vendee Globe record books, has set his sights on defending his IMOCA Globe Series title with the methodical precision that has become his trademark in offshore racing.
The 40-year-old French skipper, who sliced nine days off the previous round-the-world record, approaches the 2025 season with characteristic understatement aboard MACIF Sante Prevoyance.
"My objective this year? Well, it's to win races again," Dalin told IMOCA officials this week. "I'm still passionate as before and, you know, I love sailing IMOCAs."
IMOCAs are 60-foot high-performance monohulls built for solo or short-handed offshore racing, known for balancing cutting-edge design - like hydrofoils and carbon fibre hulls - with the raw demands of long-distance endurance.
Dalin will begin his 2025 campaign with June's Course des Caps, a 2,000-mile tactical challenge around Britain's demanding coastline, but has a special focus on October's Transat Cafe L'Or from Le Havre to Martinique, a race carrying personal significance.
"It's an important race for me because I am from Le Havre and I couldn't race last time," said Dalin, who claimed victory there in 2019. "I have revenge to take on that event. I would quite like to win it a second time."
The competitive landscape remains formidable. Dalin anticipates challenges from last year's runner-up Yoann Richomme on Paprec Arkea, Thomas Ruyant paired with Ambrogio Beccaria, and veteran Jeremie Beyou aboard Charal. Adding intrigue is newcomer Elodie Bonafous commanding Horizon 29, a sistership to Dalin's vessel.
"It will be interesting to sail against a sistership of MACIF Sante Prevoyance and see how she performs," he noted.
While acknowledging the physical toll of his Vendee Globe campaign, Dalin expressed confidence in his recovery timeline, targeting full readiness by the season's start.
Now firmly established as the sailor everyone aims to beat, Dalin embraces his position with philosophical ease.
"I'd rather be in this situation than the reverse," he smiled.
The IMOCA Globe Series is a tiered circuit of offshore yacht races, ranging from short coastal duels to gruelling round-the-world marathons. At the top are Grade 1 epics like the Vendee Globe and The Ocean Race, while Grade 2 includes transatlantic tests such as the Route du Rhum and Transat Jacques Vabre.
Shorter Grade 3 and 4 events - like the Course des Caps, Defi Azimut and Rolex Fastnet - demand precision, stamina and tactical sharpness. Together, they form a global proving ground for the world's best offshore sailors.
Dalin claimed the 2024 title with 800 points in a dominant French showing. Fellow countrymen Richomme and Sebastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) took second and third with 730 and 595 points respectively. Germany's Boris Herrmann broke the French hold, steering Malizia – Sea Explorer to fourth on 571 points.
The 2025 series kicks off with the 2,000 nautical-mile Course des Caps on June 29, and with his Vendee victory still fresh and the sails of MACIF Sante Prevoyance trimmed for another season, Dalin is plotting another year at the front of the fleet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Mbappe unfazed by PSG winning Champions League without him
Kylian Mbappe said he was happy to see his former team Paris St Germain win the Champions League for the first time this season despite having left the club a year ago in acrimonious circumstances to join Real Madrid. PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 last week to win Europe's premier club competition for the first time, having lost in the 2020 final to Bayern Munich. "I was happy, they deserved it, they've been through so many problems, I've been through that too. I've been through every stage of the Champions League except winning it," Mbappe told reporters on Saturday. "They were the best team in Europe. I can't remember ever seeing them go 5-0 up. It's 100 per cent deserved, they're becoming the team everyone wants to beat." Mbappe left PSG on a free transfer last year as the team's all-time top scorer, but the 26-year-old took his former club to court over 55 million euros ($62.67 million) in unpaid wages. Mbappe scored 43 goals in all competitions for Real Madrid but they failed to win any major trophy, finishing runners-up in LaLiga and the Copa del Rey to Barcelona while getting knocked out in the Champions League quarter-finals by Arsenal. But the France forward said there were no hard feelings as he watched his former team mates lift the trophy they had coveted for years. "PSG won the Champions League without me, that doesn't affect me. That's a good thing. I think we all face challenges in our careers," Mbappe said. "I'm a bit more in the eye of the storm, which is good. I've always liked being in these positions, it's up to me to work. I've reversed quite a few trends in my career, I've had a lot of things stuck on my back and I've managed to get them off. "Did I leave too soon? No, my story was over, it had to end. There was no bitterness, I'd reached the end of my tether." Mbappe also said he would vote for PSG forward Ousmane Dembele over Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or for the best player of the year. Dembele scored 33 goals and made 15 assists in all competitions as PSG also won the Ligue 1 title and the French Cup to accomplish a rare treble. "Would I vote for Dembele? Yes. Is there really any need to explain?... I'm going for Dembele. It's very clear," he said.
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Sinner faces defending champ Alcaraz in hotly anticipated French Open final
PARIS :The French Open men's singles tournament will culminate with a blockbuster clash in Paris on Sunday. World number one Jannik Sinner faces defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the most eagerly anticipated men's singles final since the start of the Rafa Nadal era 20 years ago at Roland Garros where the results were largely a foregone conclusion. RUTHLESS SINNER SEEKS MAIDEN ROLAND GARROS TITLE Italian top seed Sinner has been impressive since his return from a doping ban last month, charging into Sunday's final without dropping a single set in his six matches in Paris. The 23-year-old outclassed 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in their semi-final to confirm his superb form on clay after also reaching the final in Rome in May in his first tournament back from his ban. He was beaten there by Alcaraz in straight sets. Any doubts that Sinner was lacking match practice were quickly dispelled by the ruthless efficiency with which he has dispatched all his opponents in Paris to set up a mouth-watering final against arguably the most gifted claycourt player since 14-time French Open champion Nadal. Sinner had never before reached the final in Paris but he will be looking to add the Roland Garros title to his rapidly growing list of majors, which already includes two Australian Open crowns and last year's U.S. Open. He is on a 20-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments after lifting the trophy in New York last year and then clinching the title in Melbourne at the start of this year. "It doesn't get any bigger now," Sinner said of his burgeoning rivalry with the 22-year-old Alcaraz, who has seven wins and two defeats against the Italian in their head-to-head. ALCARAZ PEAKING AT RIGHT TIME IN TITLE QUEST Alcaraz, who is attempting to become only the third man to retain his Roland Garros title this century after Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten, has won the last four encounters with Sinner. "Grand Slam finals against Carlos, it's a special moment for me and for him, too. He won here last year, so let's see what's coming," Sinner said. "But for sure, the tension you feel before the match and during the match is a little bit different because we are both very young, we are both different, but talented. So let's see." Alcaraz's progression to the final has not been equally smooth, with the Spaniard dropping a set in four of his six matches, including in his semi-final against Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who retired injured at the start of the fourth set. But his occasional lapses of concentration during his matches in Paris barely mask his lethal force on the surface. He won the claycourt tournaments in Monte Carlo and Rome while also reaching the final in Barcelona in a near-perfect preparation to Paris. "If I want to play against Jannik, he's the best tennis player right now. I mean, he's destroying every opponent through (to) the semi-final," Alcaraz said. ORDER OF PLAY ON SUNDAY (prefix number denotes seeding)
Independent Singapore
12 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Aryna Sabalenka ended Queen of Clay Iga Swiatek's dominance at the French Open, says 'the job is not done yet'
PARIS, FRANCE: Aryna Sabalenka has brought an end to Iga Swiatek's dominance on the clay surface as she won the French Open semi-finals. Sabalenka, currently World No. 1, managed to achieve what no one had been able to do in four years as she overcame Swiatek's strong defensive skills with her powerful and determined game. Having their first Grand Slam match since the 2022 US Open, Sabalenka also stopped Swiatek's 26-match winning streak at the tournament, finishing the intense battle with a final scoreline of 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-0. This also marks Sabalenka's first final at Roland-Garros. With this, the athlete expressed: 'Honestly, it feels incredible… I understand the job is not done yet, but I'm thrilled with the performance and this win.' Highlights of the match The match took a turn when Swiatek found her rhythm on the court, winning four games in a row. However, Sabalenka fought back, held her serve, and then gave an impressive forehand on the run to break Swiatek. Sabalenka then took a 6-5 lead. However, as the match progressed, Swiatek's play became much more aggressive and precise, making it tough for Sabalenka to maintain control. Sabalenka regrouped and played a near-perfect tie-break, dropping only one point to win the first set. Both players showcased their skills and strengths. Swiatek started upping her game, coming to the net more often, a rare strategy for her, which yielded great results, b ut in the deciding set, Sabalenka came out as hyped as ever. She gave it her all, and she quickly broke Swiatek's serve to take a 2-0 lead. This shook Swiatek's confidence, and when Sabalenka broke her again, it felt like the match was slipping, already veering away from the defending champion. Swiatek's frustration was evident in her body language as Sabalenka sealed the win, hitting a final backhand winner past Swiatek. With the outcome, Swiatek admitted: 'I love playing here, so for sure I'm happy that I was fortunate enough to play so many great tournaments here… Even this one, you know, I feel like I played better than in the weeks before. I'm just happy that I have this place to come back to every year and just try to push myself.' Now, Sabalenka would battle against Coco Gauff, who ended Lois Boisson's run with a 6-1, 6-2 win. In a social media post, Sabalenka shared: 'My first @rolandgarros final, but the job's not done yet.' Netizens showed their support by commenting on the post. They said, 'You have so many fans that believe in you and are rooting for you. Believe in yourself and fight for every single point, and you will be victorious. I love you so much, Aryna! Congratulations 🥺🫶🏽,' 'Reigning Queen of Tennis 🦁🐯🤩I am rooting for you with every ounce possible—just like every ounce of effort you show us!! We are in this together – we love you so much—you got this, Aryna—your team knows you will figure this out! Go get the win! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🥇🥇🥇🥇', 'You can do it! 💪🏻 unstoppable girl 🧡🔥👑,' and 'Proud of you, but the job is indeed not done yet. Bring it home, Aryna ❤️.'
