The Ocean Race: Two-time IMOCA world champion Charlie Dalin joins 11th Hour Racing Team for crucial leg

French offshore sailor Charlie Dalin, a two-time IMOCA world champion, is set to join the 11th Hour Racing Team, the sole US entry in The Ocean Race, for a pivotal double-pointer leg from Newport, Rhode Island, to Aarhus, Denmark.

Hailing from Le Havre and currently based in Brittany, France, Dalin has consistently achieved victories and podium finishes in major offshore sailing events in recent years.

His remarkable accomplishments include first-place finishes in the 2022 Vendee Arctique Les Sables d’Olonne and the 2022 Guyader Bermudes, as well as a second-place ranking in the 2022 Route du Rhum, the 2021 Transat Jacques Vabre, and the 2020-2021 Vendee Globe.

This marks Dalin’s debut in The Ocean Race.

Joining skipper Charlie Enright, navigator Simon Fisher, trimmer Justine Mettraux, and media crew member Amory Ross, Dalin will embark on the transatlantic leg of the race.

Enright expressed his excitement about Dalin’s inclusion, stating, “Charlie’s track record speaks for itself as one of the, if not the, most successful offshore sailors in recent years.”

Having collaborated within MerConcept, Enright has sailed alongside Dalin before, but not in a competitive capacity.

Dalin expressed his gratitude to the 11th Hour Racing Team for the opportunity to join them. He said: “It’s going to be a wonderful experience. I know the team well because we have collaborated a lot within MerConcept in the development of our respective boats, and I admire the energy deployed on the project and on The Ocean Race.”

The upcoming leg to Aarhus holds significant importance for the 11th Hour Racing Team’s overall success in the race, offering an opportunity to secure ten valuable points on the leaderboard as the leg winner.

Currently in second place overall after finishing the previous leg into Newport in first position, the team is closely trailing the race leaders, Holcim-PRB. With 20 points up for grabs in the final three legs, the top three boats remain strong contenders for the coveted trophy at the race’s conclusion in Genoa, Italy.

The Ocean Race fleet is scheduled to depart on Sunday, May 21, 2023, embarking on the final open ocean leg, a 3,500 nautical mile (4,028 miles/6,482 kilometres) journey back to Europe.

This marks the fleet’s return to Europe since their departure from Alicante, Spain, on January 15, making it a significant milestone in The Ocean Race.

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