Tomorrow, May 11th, we’ll be celebrating the birthdays of two notable sailors: Sir Thomas Lipton and Charlie Dalin. Lipton was born on this day in 1848 and went on to achieve America’s Cup fame as the “world’s best loser” after losing five straight Cups. His perseverance and optimism made him one of the most beloved names in the Cup’s history despite having never succeeded in winning it. In addition to his sailing resume, the Scottish sailor was the founder of Lipton Tea and a philanthropist, aiding medical efforts during WWI and lending his ships to the Red Cross. Despite being born to a working-class family with the odds stacked against him, he was appointed Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, amassed a great fortune and tirelessly aided working-class people before his death at 83.
Charlie Dalin was born on this day in 1984. This contemporary French sailor is best known for his Vendée Globe prowess, winning the event in 2024-25 and coming in second in 2020-21. Dalin also competed in the 2023 Ocean Race with the winning 11th Hour Racing Tram and has been a consistent force in the Transat Jaques Vabre and other ocean races over the past decade. Click here for his interview with SAIL after this year’s victory.
