Les Sables-d’Olonne Vendée Globe. RANKING of Skippers as of Sat Nov 16, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
RANKING Saturday November 16, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
The surprise comes from Jean Le Cam who, thanks to a choice of route very east, is still at the head of the race.
Sébastien Simon, with a more classic route, is in 2nd place.
He benefited from more wind and is now only 11 miles from the leader.
It is likely that he will take the lead during the afternoon.
Giancarlo Pedote moves from 2nd to 3rd place, but he is only 26 miles behind the leader.
Good place for the adopted Sablais, Arnaud Boissières, 11th in the ranking.
Philippe Brossard-Lotz
The Sablais Reporter
The LE CAM case
He strongly believes in it, in his South. For 24 hours, Jean Le Cam (Everything begins in Finistère – Armor-lux) has continued his merry way along the African coast, and has taken the lead in the ranking. The routings see him heading straight towards a mess to be cut with the chainsaw, but he continues to move forward despite everything, hoping that reality will thumb his nose at the files. Has the king turned into a sorcerer?
In any case, he convinced Conrad Colman (MS Amlin) to follow in his wake:
After a lot of head scratching, a lot of uncertainty and a lot of anxiety, I decided to separate from the fleet and took the wake of Jean Le Cam to follow the African coast. It's going pretty well, I'm moving at 12 knots in a wind of less than 10, so I'm always amazed by the efficiency of this type of boat. It's calm, the wind is a little unstable, but as long as I have wind, I don't care!
Launched into their option, the two sailors work to move their horses forward, without forgetting to enjoy the moment. Being at the top of the Vendée Globe rankings, even if it's probably only for a while, is always something to be savored. Especially since “the night is just magnificent,” says Conrad Colman, whose solar panels always allow him to recharge his batteries and succeed in his “zero emissions” bet. “It’s beautiful on a level I’d forgotten. The skies during navigation are always the most striking, we are far from the pollution of light, it's just a great great pleasure to be outside and alone this night, to have all this sky to myself, it's quite magical. »
Magic would also be if the option of these two proves conclusive, and allows them a thunderous escape. An unprecedented scenario which would confirm that Jean Le Cam, with his six Vendée Globe and 65 springs, has clearly signed a pact with the ocean.
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Maxime Sorel – “My frustration generates more desire than doubt”
Saturday November 16, 2024
The day after his abandonment, the V and B – Monbana – Mayenne skipper took the time to look back on what he experienced with the lucidity and frankness that characterize him.
Maxime assures that it “was not reasonable to continue” especially since his ankle injury seems more serious than he thought.
While he should return to France tomorrow, the thirty-year-old is already looking towards the 2028 Vendée Globe with the firm intention of “coming back stronger”.
Vendée Globe: How do you feel the day after your abandonment?
Maxime Sorel (V AND B – MONBANA – MAYENNE) : It's okay, it could be better. It's obviously strange to find yourself in Madeira after six days of racing. I'm frustrated, clearly, because I wasn't able to express myself about this race, I wasn't able to experience everything we had planned, nor complete all the work we had done. Again, I'm not disappointed but I am frustrated. Now I'm trying to focus on getting the boat back and what's next.
Vendée Globe: When was the decision to abandon made?
Maxime Sorel: At no time did I have that in mind. Afterwards, with the race medical staff and those who usually follow me, we could clearly see that there was a problem with my ankle. I was mostly focused on my repairs. In Madeira, I started repairs, dismantling the traveler, the mainsail hook, to see how it was damaged. The idea was to leave as quickly as possible. But the pain was there, I had been on anti-inflammatory medication for five days. I wanted to believe it, to tell myself that it was possible to go back but our boats are very demanding, you really need both feet. My naturopath, in whom I trust blindly, suggested that I give up. It was not reasonable to continue.
Vendée Globe: Do you know more about your ankle injury?
Maxime Sorel: We haven't yet done any imaging (radio editor's note) but a doctor came on board to remove my strap. In fact, I'm suffering from a partial rupture of the external ligament, it's worse than we imagined. It could have had much more serious consequences if I had continued. For now, we're keeping her in a strap. As soon as I return to France, I will take more detailed examinations and I will be able to take the appropriate measures to treat myself and begin rehabilitation.
Vendée Globe: What relationship did you have with the medical staff and the race management?
Maxime Sorel: As soon as I encountered my first technical problems, I informed the race management. We checked in almost every 30 minutes to talk about symptoms. After the impact on my ankle, I felt nauseous, I was in a bit of a daze. It's a good thing to count on them, to be able to report the sensations. The medical staff and race direction were extremely efficient.
Vendée Globe: You described the sequence of problems, less the way you experienced it. How far did you have to fight and push your limits?
Maxime Sorel: When I went up to the mast to fix this hook problem, it was perhaps the worst moment. The sea was rough, with 2.5 meters of water, I was downwind with 3 reefs in the mainsail. The boat was really not stable and my ankle continued to swell. I told myself that I was doing something stupid. In Madeira, I had to go back to the mast even though my ankle had doubled in size. I wanted to unplug the brain and put my foot down.
Vendée Globe: You always seemed very lucid…
Maxime Sorel: I like to understand everything and I spent every minute analyzing the situation, seeking diagnoses to know what I could do. I wanted to have as much information as possible to allow me to make the best decisions. I try not to leave anything to chance and for that, I had to remain lucid.
Vendée Globe: What will your program look like in the coming days?
Maxime Sorel: I received a very warm welcome here, I know people and that made the process easier. A doctor came, I tried to walk but the relationship to pain is not the same at sea as on land. Two teammates came to join me yesterday, another arrived today. We are watching the weather to ensure the delivery of the boat which will probably leave tomorrow. I'm going to take the first plane home.
Vendée Globe: You are an experienced sportsman. You have competed in major offshore races, climbed Everest, competed in trails… How do you recover from what you have just experienced?
Maxime Sorel: When you are a multi-discipline athlete, you know that your body is a machine, a machine to be maintained. And as in sailing, there can be problems, they must be analyzed, repaired and resolved. I wasn't expecting a breakage on the guy, it's a bad combination of circumstances. The only thing it provokes in me is a fierce desire to come back even stronger next time. I was not able to express myself fully, this frustration generates more desire than doubt.
Vendée Globe: Are you already thinking about the next edition?
Maxime Sorel: We built a boat with the objective of competing in the 2024 Vendée Globe and finishing it. And I want this boat to finish and finish the 2028 Vendée Globe well. This is even clearer. I want to get back on the water and do everything I can to write a new project, be present at the Transat Jacques Vabre and begin a new cycle of preparation to be there in four years.
(Interview by Saem Vendée Globe)
Philippe Brossard-Lotz
The Sablais Reporter
(with communication)
