Charlie Dalin cruised to a record win in the Vendee Globe Challenge on Monday. A finish is expected early Tuesday morning at Les Sables d'Olonne.

The Macif Sante prevoyance skipper was only 295 km away from the finish line at 1000GMT Monday.

Yoann Richomme, Paprec Arkea, is 177.86 nautical mile behind Dalin.

Charlie Dalin, who left nearly 64 days earlier on November 10, is on course to break the record set by Armel le Cleac’h in the 2016-2017 edition.

The winner of Banque Populaire 8 needed 74 hours, 3 minutes, 35 seconds, and 46 second to complete a solo, nonstop, unassisted, circumnavigation.

Dalin approaches the Breton coastline before returning to Les Sables-d'Olonne. He was first in the previous 2021 edition, but he had to settle for second behind Yannick bestaven who received time compensation after diverting from his race to help another competitor.

The defending champion, Maitre Coq, has pulled out of the 2024-2025 race due to damage to its steering system. He then returned to sea to continue his journey to Vendee.

Dalin led for most of the race. He took the lead during the Atlantic descent off the coasts of Brazil, and again for more than two weeks on the Southern Ocean.

Richomme was only nine minutes behind Macif Sante Prévoyance's sailor at Cape Horn. On Dec. 30, the sailor took the lead during the climb of the Atlantic.

Richomme, in his first Vendee Globe race, is still on course to finish second despite having lost a foresail last Friday. Sebastien Simon, Groupe Dubreuil, is third despite having a foil issue on the starboard side since December 8.

Violette Dorrange, the youngest competitor of this edition at 23, has begun her journey up the Atlantic. She is expected to reach the finish line in a little over a month.

She also had a failure of the foresail on Sunday and said that she was 'frightened' her mast might break.

She said, "I am exhausted." (Writing Julien Pretot)

(source: Reuters)