(Reuters) -World Sailing has crowned two offshore sailing stars as its top achievers, with French cancer survivor Charlie Dalin and Swiss record-breaker Justine Mettraux taking the prestigious Rolex World Sailor of the Year awards in Ireland’s Dun Laoghaire.
Dalin earned the male title after his all-conquering victory in the 2024-2025 Vendee Globe, completing the grueling solo, non-stop circumnavigation aboard Macif Sante Prevoyance in 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, and 49 seconds — demolishing the previous course record by nearly 10 days.
His triumph became even more heroic with the recent revelation that he was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumour in 2023 and competed while undergoing treatment, managing his illness with daily medication.
Swiss sailor Mettraux claimed the female award after delivering an historic performance in the same Vendee Globe. Finishing eighth overall on Teamwork-Team SNEF, she became the first woman and first international competitor to cross the finish line, completing the race in 76 days, 1 hour, 36 minutes, and 52 seconds to set a new record for the fastest single-handed, non-stop, monohull circumnavigation by a woman.
New Zealand earned the Team of the Year Award following their third consecutive America’s Cup victory in Barcelona in 2024.
The youth awards went to Greece’s 13-year-old Nikolaos Pappas, who won the Optimist World Championship at his first international event, and Spain’s Marta Cardona, who claimed both 470 Mixed World and European Championships as a debutant.
World Sailing also presented its 11th Hour Racing Impact Award to the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES Project for its work protecting seagrass meadows and maerl beds across southern England’s conservation areas.
(Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
