Round-the-World Sailing Champion Charlie Dalin’s Cancer Battle at Age 42

French sailing champion Charlie Dalin passed away from cancer at the age of 42, according to an announcement from his family on June 11, 2026. He had just completed a solo non-stop round-the-world yacht race, winning the 2024–2025 Vendée Globe in a record-breaking 64 days.

Dalin’s wife, Perrine Le Pape, announced his passing in a message to French news agency Agence France-Presse: “It is with deep sadness that my family and I announce the passing of my husband, Charlie Dalin, following a long illness.”

Dalin was diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer in 2023, and won the Vendée Globe while undergoing treatment. He confirmed in his autobiography, ‘The Force of Destiny’, that his doctors had found a gastrointestinal stromal tumor in the autumn of 2023, when he withdrew from the Transat Jacques Vabre transatlantic race.

He had first noticed his symptoms during a training session, and was diagnosed with cancer after a series of emergency scans. At the time, Dalin kept his diagnosis private, although his team adjusted his training intensity to accommodate for the fatigue and weight loss he was facing.

Up until the start of the 2024–2025 Vendée Globe, Dalin was unsure if he could participate in the race—until a scan in November 2024 confirmed that his tumor had not grown. He was ‘incredibly relaxed’ on the race start day, and considered taking part as its own victory.

According to interviews with Agence France-Presse, he slept an average of six and half hours every day, and continued to take immunotherapy pills while competing. Dalin also faced stomach pains during his competition, but managed by diverting his attention away from worrying. In his eyes, the race itself gave him a chance to not think about the illness. He shared: “The pains went away as quickly as they had come. By the time I got back to shore, I had almost forgotten about them.”

While competing neck and neck with Yoann Richomme along the Atlantic Ocean, Dalin had blurted out: “In the end, it’s just a game.” — a quote that didn’t seem to fit his usual demeanor. However, when sharing his take on that moment, he affirmed that he was “really relaxed, happy to be on my boat, fighting for final victory.”

In an interview with French sailing magazine Voiles et Voiliers, Dalin shared that he had started facing stomach pains again a few days after completing his race, and required a major surgery to remove a 15cm-long piece of his intestine shortly after. According to the sailing champion: “The contrast was dizzying: the peak of my sporting career followed by an operation and three weeks in the hospital.”

With his passing, a symbolic tribute and homage to Dalin has been planned for the 2026 Vendée Arctic, the qualifying race for the Vendée Globe. A moment of silence will be held before the trophy presentation, as well as a broadcast of his final victorious arrival in the previous edition of the Vendée Globe.