The China Mail - French sailor Charlie Dalin wins Vendee Globe in record time

Dalin, who narrowly came second in the last edition of the race in 2021, was greeted by a chorus of ships' klaxons near the port of Sables-d'Olonne.

His time of 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 49 seconds beat by more than nine days the record set by Armel Le Cleac'h in 2017.

Dalin, 40, led for the majority of the race and his closest challenger, Yoann Richomme, was more than half a day behind.

His wife Perrine and seven-year-old son Oscar joined him on board his boat "Macif" after he crossed the line and an exhausted Dalin raised his arms to the sky in triumph.

"I have never experienced such emotions. With the light that is starting to break through, it's unbelievable," Dalin said, according to organisers.

"I have been dreaming about this Vendee Globe since the day after the 2021 Vendee Globe.

"For four years, my team and I have been working hard and giving everything we have to make this super boat.

"That is what we live for and we've achieved our aim."

Dalin's victory was all the sweeter after what transpired four years ago.

In 2021, he crossed the line first but was demoted to second when runner-up Yannick Bestaven was adjudged the winner after being awarded a time bonus for going to the aid of a stricken rival.

Bestaven, whose defence of his title ended at the end of December due to a series of problems with his boat, edged Dalin out by three hours once the bonus was taken into account.

The despair over that episode gave Dalin nightmares in the intervening years, as he told AFP prior to setting sail for this renewal.

"This second place was hugely frustrating," he recalled.

"For a long time, I would awake in the middle of the night. I would go back through the race, the manoeuvres, my choice of sail in order to understand where I let that time slip."

- 'He deserves it' -

In this year's race, Dalin had a more powerful and versatile boat than four years ago and enjoyed relatively clement weather.

He seized control of the race at the end of November as he rounded the Cape of Good Hope.

He and Sebastien Simon were the only competitors to opt to head into the middle of the Indian Ocean despite a violent storm and avoid having to take a detour.

Simon's courage cost him a broken starboard foil which allowed Dalin to take a sizeable lead over his rivals.

However, Richomme got the bit between his teeth and erased a gap of 500 nautical miles in a matter of days round the south of Australia and took a nine-minute lead when they rounded Cape Horn.

Dalin's triumph became all but certain when Richomme suffered a torn foresail on his boat "Paprec Arkea" as they crossed the North Atlantic.

"I think he deserves it," said Richomme a few days ago.

"The outcome of the last Vendee Globe was unfair for him and he deserves this win."

A.Kwok--ThChM