Maxime SOREL

IMOCA Globe Series21th
Points210 pts
Age37 (8/11/86)
Top performanceTransat Jacques Vabre's Winner in 2017 on Class40
Joined Imoca on2019
TeamV and B - Monbana - Mayenne
BaseConcarneau (FRANCE)
PartnersV and B, Monbana, Mayenne
CommitmentVaincre la Mucoviscidose (Conquering Cystic Fibrosis)

Profile

A civil engineer by training, Maxime Sorel made his first tacks off Port Mer in Cancale. He started out in light sailing and got a taste for the open sea on Pascal Quintin's Multi50. He completed his first transatlantic race during the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe 2014 on board a Class40, which he finished in 1st place in the Class40 Vintage. Then his honorary sponsor, V and B, built him a Mach 40.3 to continue the adventure together.

After a year 2016 that fell short of his ambitions, Maxime redoubled his efforts and began optimising his boat at the beginning of 2017. The work paid off and the skipper won the prestigious Rolex Fastnet Race and the Transat Jacques Vabre.

It was during the 2018 Route du Rhum that Maxime and his partner V and B announced their intention to be on the starting grid for the 2020 Vendée Globe. The Department of Mayenne then joined the adventure and the skipper made his entry into the monohull class, the IMOCA.

After only two years of preparation on board his new boat, Maxime completed his first round-the-world race in 82 days in 10th place. The contract was more than fulfilled, and the skipper returned, true to form, with the same thirst for adventure!

So in 2021, Monbana is strengthening the Mayenne alliance a little more and a new Vendée Globe project is being prepared on board a new, latest generation IMOCA: the V and B - Monbana - Mayenne. The aim is to finish in the top 5 of the future round the world race.

In parallel with this new sailing project, Maxime climbed the Everest of the land (after having completed the Everest of the sea in 2020/21) in order to carry the colours of Vaincre la Mucoviscidose, the association he has been defending since 2014 and for which he is the national sponsor since 2019, and thus achieve what he calls: My Double Everest.

In 2023, he returned to racing with Christopher Pratt for the second half of the double-handed season, where they finished every race in the top10.

Sailing Highlights

2023 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 8th
2023 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 8th
2023 : Rolex Fastnet Race - 4th
2022 : Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe - 5th
2022 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 4th
2020-2021 : Vendée Globe - 10th
2020 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 11th
2020 : Vendée Arctique - 11th
2019 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 16th
2019 : Défi Azimut-Lorient Agglomération - 9th
2019 : Rolex Fastnet Race - Abandon
2019 : Guyader Bermudes 1000 Race - 5th
Other highlights

2018: Route du Rhum - Retired (Class40)
2018: Guyader Grand Prix - 10th
2017: Transat Jacques Vabre - 1st Class40
2017: Rolex Fasnet Race: 1st in Class40
2017: Guyader Grand Prix: 3rd Class40
2016: Normandy Channel Race: 3rd Class40 
2016: Transat Québec/Saint-Malo: 18th Class40
2015: Transat Jacques Vabre 2015: 2nd Class40  
2014: Route du Rhum : 1st vintage Class40 and 23rd overall
2014: Guyader Trophy: 1st Class40 Vintage and 8th overall
2014: World Champion Class40 vintage 

Boat

Name V AND B - MONBANA - MAYENNE
Sail numberFRA 53
ArchitectGuillaume Verdier
Construction2022, MerConcept
Length18,28 m
Beam5,5 m
Draught4,5 m
Weight8 tonnes
Mast height29 m
Mast typeWings mat
FoilsYes
Sail area max.
UpwindNC
DownwindNC
© © Jean-Marie LIOT
© Jean-Louis Carli
© Jean-Louis Carli
© © Jean-Marie LIOT
© Pierre Bouras/V and B-Monbana-Mayenne
© Jean-Marie Liot/Alea
© Vincent Curutchet/Alea
© Vincent Curutchet/Alea