Vendée Globe winner Charlie Dalin awarded Magnus Olsson Prize

Dalin, from Le Havre in France, has been a competitive force in the sailing world for nearly 20 years, blending technical expertise with determined racing skills. A trained naval architect who graduated from the University of Southampton in 2006, Dalin discovered sailing at the tender age of six and transformed his childhood passion into a professional career that has spanned over two decades.

His skills as both designer and skipper have defined his career and taken him to the top of the offshore racing scene. One of his first professional roles in the sport was on the design and construction team for the VO70 Ericsson 4, which won the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race and set a 24-hour speed record.

Dalin's ascent as a sailor began to show itself in the competitive Figaro Beneteau class, where he secured an incredible five consecutive podium finishes in the Solitaire du Figaro. Transitioning to the IMOCA circuit, Dalin earned back-to-back wins in the Transat Jacques Vabre (2015 with Yann Eliès, 2019 with Paul Meilhat), a runner-up finish in the 2020 Vendée Globe (first across the line, second after redress), and the IMOCA Globe Series World Championship title, among many other victories and podium finishes.

In 2023, Dalin won the transatlantic leg of The Ocean Race with 11th Hour Racing Team, the eventual overall race winner. He then launched his new IMOCA boat, MACIF Santé Prévoyance, a Guillaume Verdier-design in which he played a pivotal role from conception to construction. Following strong results in qualifying regattas for the 2024 Vendée Globe, Dalin would make history by shattering the previous Vendée Globe race record by an astonishing nine days with a finishing time of 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, and 49 seconds.

Remarkably, Charlie Dalin recently revealed that he had been battling a gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST), diagnosed in late 2023, throughout his preparations and during the race itself. Undergoing targeted treatment while maintaining the grueling demands and isolation of offshore racing, Dalin exemplifies a fierce will and determination, and grace in the face of adversity.

The Magnus Olsson Prize, established in memory of the legendary Swedish sailor Magnus "Mange" Olsson, honours individuals who embody excellence, sportsmanship, and innovation in sailing. Past recipients include Franck Cammas, Torben Grael, Simon ‘SiFi’ Fisher, Grant Dalton, Carolijn Brouwer, and Stan Honey along with Olympic sailing legends like Sir Ben Ainslie, Peter Burling, Martine Grael and Santiago Lange, underscoring the award's prestige within the global sailing community.

"Receiving the Magnus Olsson Prize is an honour that reflects not just my victories on the water, but also what we must overcome off the water with the support of family and teammates, and the wider sailing community," said Dalin. "Magnus Olsson was a legend whose spirit of adventure inspired everyone he came into contact with. I am proud to accept this prize and join with the previous award winners to carry on his legacy."

Dalin’s new book, La Force du Destin (The Force of Destiny), outlines his sailing career and his battle to race around the world despite his health challenges.

Alongside the naming of the Magnus Olsson Prize winner each year, scholarships are also awarded to young Swedish sailors. Over 20 promising young people have received scholarships from the Mange Olsson Memorial Fund. This year, the two sailors selected are Cornelia Baldock Frost and Erik Norlén.

"This scholarship give me great pride and motivation,” said Baldock Frost, who finished 5th at the Youth Worlds in the double-handed 29er class. “Having my drive and my sailing recognized like this gives me the energy to aim for even bigger goals."

"I was very surprised and incredibly happy to be awarded this scholarship,” said Erik Norlén, who won gold, at the Under 21 European Championships in the single-handed ILCA class. “I feel honored and grateful; it means a lot to me and to my sailing."

Charlie Dalin and the scholarship winners will be honoured in person at the 2026 Magnus Olsson Prize Ceremony in Stockholm, a prestigious event held in the spirit of Mange Olsson.