Mathieu Warnier, Media365: published on Thursday November 14, 2024 at 6:30 p.m.
Victim of damage to the mainsail and injured ankle, Maxime Sorel confided that continuing his adventure in the Vendée Globe appears more and more complicated, with a decision which could be made in the hours to come.
Is the first abandonment of the tenth edition of the Vendée Globe getting closer? At the helm of V and B-Monbana-Mayenne, Maxime Sorel recently made the decision to divert to Madeira in the hope of finding less turbulent sailing conditions. Indeed, since the start of the solo, non-stop and unassisted round-the-world trip this Sunday, the native of Saint-Malo has experienced several damages, the most serious of which affects the main sail of his monohull. “After four days of not easy lessons with a lot of damage including the first with a large sail which is no longer usable”, he confided in his video logbook transmitted to the daily West France. The objective of this change of course towards the archipelago attached to Portugal is to allow a less dangerous intervention. However, Maxime Sorel is also handicapped by an injury. “In all my antics, I injured my ankle three days ago and it's not progressing in the right direction,” he said. It swelled. »
Sorel: “I have to find the courage”
Despite everything, Le Malouin intends to do his best to resolve the problem that is preventing him from getting the most out of his boat. “I'm heading towards Madeira to try to find shelter and climb the mast, because I have to find a solution to bring down the main sail,” he said in this video. And despite my ankle condition, I have no choice, I have to find the courage. » Pointed in 36th position this Thursday at 3:00 p.m., with a delay of 314.56 miles on the current leader of the fleet Nicolas Lunven, who took the advantage over Yoann Richomme, in the lead earlier in the day, Maxime Sorel does not hide the fact that there is doubt concerning his ability to continue an event which should last almost three more months. “We are going to make decisions between today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday) to see what happens next for us,” he confided, a bit pessimistic. Indeed, the words of the native of Saint-Malo as well as his physical difficulties suggest that his participation in the tenth Vendée Globe will not go beyond Madeira.
