Sailing Magazine
pic by Vincent Curutchet/Alea
By Richard Crockett
A few days ago I wrote about Andrew Tarboton having “vasbyt” by not having ever given up in his quest to win the Musto Skiff world championships.
Well I wonder what the French equivalent of “vasbyt” is as Charlie Dalin has won the 10th edition of the Vendee Globe singlehanded around the world race in a record breaking time.
It’s a tough assignment just completing the entry form let alone racing around the world alone! Why people sail alone is beyond me, as much of the joy of our sport is sharing the on-water experiences with others.
The best way to put his performance in perspective is to quote in an abridged form a congratulatory letter Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, President of the International Association of Cape Horners, sent him on finishing:
“WOW – what an achievement! You have broken just about every race and solo monohull record going:
• Fastest from the Equator to Cape of Good Hope
• Fastest across the Southern Ocean from Good Hope to Cape Horn
• Fastest from Cape Horn to Equator
• Fastest from Equator to the finish in Les Sables d’Olonne
• While doing so you are the first to break through the 500 mile day barrier with a new solo 24 hour monohull record of 509.05nm – a teeth (or filling) shattering 29.02 knot average, and also smashed the previous solo monohull circumnavigation record by a massive 9 days!
“You and your podium rivals Yoann Richomme (‘Paprec Arkéa’) and Sébastien Simon (‘Groupe Dubreuil’) have transformed the Vendée Globe Race from a 3-month adventure into a 2-month sporting sprint around the Globe.
“We Cape Horners tip our caps to you all.
“55 years ago when I completed the first solo non-stop circumnavigation in 312 days aboard my sturdy little yacht Suhaili, it was inconceivable to think that anyone might one day achieve the same in my lifetime within just 65 days!
“It is a tribute not only to your own skills in navigation, seamanship and sporting prowess, but to the designers and engineers who produced your IMOCA 60 ‘MACIF Santé Prévoyance’ to withstand all that has been thrown at it by the elements without breakages.
“According to our records, you are the 194th person to have now completed what is your second solo circumnavigation via Cape Horn, and we Cape Horners extend to you a warm welcome to one of the most exclusive clubs in the world – The International Association of Cape Horners.”
One can also add the following to his statistics:
Race time: 64d 19h 22min 49s
Record broken by : 09d 08h 12min 57s
Distance actually covered: 27 667.91 nautical miles
Actual average speed: 17.79 knots
An average speed around the globe of a shade under 18 knots is simply mind-blowing.
Dalin described his favourite moment as “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 and dealing with the big depression in the Indian Ocean. Even if it was exhausting, it was fascinating.”
His only injury was from a sailmaker’s needle that he stuck deep into his thumb while repairing a sail near New Zealand. “I was afraid it would get infected, but everything went well” he said at the finish.
What a man – what a performance.
