Maxime Sorel crossed the finish line early Tuesday morning at 3:04:03 a.m. (UTC time). The skipper of V AND B - MONBANA - MAYENNE takes 5th place in the race after 8 days 15 hours 34 minutes and 3 seconds. Sorel, who was 11th on the last Vendee Globe completed The Transat CIC at an actual average speed of 15.51 knots and finished 8 hours 40 minutes and 31 seconds behind the winner, Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa).
In numbers
Finish : 02 h 04 03’’ (UTC)
Elapsed : 8 days15 hours 34 minutes and 3 seconds
Distance sailed : 3218,84 milles
Delta to first : 8 h 40 m 31 s
Theoretical average : 14,21 noeuds
Real average : 15,51 noeuds
©Jean Marie Liot
Max said, "That’s it, the finish line of The Transat CIC has been crossed for the IMOCA V AND BE – MONBANA – MAYENNE and myself, not easy at all crossing the Atlantic in less than nine days. It was really fast but full of pitfalls. I loved the course and what we had: upwind but also downwind, so it's great because I didn't think we were going to work so many weather features on this northern route. I'm really happy for the rest of the program. There were lots of good things. I feel better and better on the boat. I'm getting more and more comfortable even in bad weather, so that's really cool. Overall, it's a race that requires commitment, not having to think too much about what you should do depending on the conditions you encounter. We experienced many areas of strong wind with a lot of sea. It’s true that if you have a little doubt, you struggle. There, we had no choice. And then I inevitably got caught up in the ranking game as always. At times when it was a little hot, I put the boat in ‘safe’ mode three times, forgetting about the classification and the race. That’s still a lot, especially since they lasted between 3 and 6-7 hours. I managed to be at the front, to come back before falling behind, to come back again until, 10 hours before the finish, I could perhaps take 3rd place. It was a little crazy. There wasn't too much damage to the boat. We'll have to do a structural check but compared to what it took, it's pretty cool, except at the end where I hit something a few hours before arriving. I wasn't going very fast but it damaged the starboard foil so we'll have to see how we do next. Otherwise, overall, I am very satisfied to have held off the big names in the IMOCA Class. I had done that a bit on the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe but there were much fewer competitors. There was almost everyone there. I am happy, proud of the work of my team. It’s not easy to set off on a transatlantic race a month after launching a major project. This is the last winter project before a round the world There were a lot of systems to restart, a lot of things to test. It was essential to have a boat so ready for a competitive race like this but it still had to be done. This 5th place is for my entire technical, administrative and communication team behind me. And all my partners. I hope they are delighted. I haven't been able to talk with them yet, I just arrived. I can't wait to be on land because it's a bit strange to cross the line so far from land but I can't wait to see everyone again. You have to stay vigilant for another ten hours and tomorrow: coffee, maybe not croissant here but a little cheesecake! "
