Sorel retires after ankle and mainsail injury irreparable

The injury worsens while you are repairing it

Vendee Globe Race covers 24,000 nautical mile

By Ossian Shimmer

Maxime Sorel, a sailor from France, retired on Friday after five days in the non-stop, solo race around the world.

The Frenchman was battling an enlarged ankle from the second day. He sustained this injury while trying to fix a broken hook or damaged mainsail tracks. The mainsail problem was determined to be "irreparable alone" despite his efforts. His injury also made it difficult for him to safely move on board.

Sorel stated that his ankle had been severely damaged for the past four days. It has only grown over time, and because of the maneuvers I've done on board to fix my mainsail cleat issues. "I am so ill that I have difficulty getting on my boat."

Sorel took shelter near Madeira Thursday night. He made one last attempt to fix the mainsail issue.

Last night, off Madeira I climbed my mast. It was not easy for me to lower my mainsail. I saw that the hook had indeed been broken. He explained that we had good reason to worry.

"At the exact same time, there is a serious damage to the mainsail tracks. It is impossible, with or without my pain to change these sections of the mainsail tracks that are three metres tall. This is a job for a construction site.

I will let you imagine the physical and mental pain that I have endured. My second Vendee globe is being abandoned. This was the culmination of four years' preparation by my team. "However, I felt like everything was magic from the beginning but nothing is normal since Sunday.

Sorel, despite his frustrations, remains hopeful about the future.

The positive is that I will be boosted for the future. This ankle and mainsail did not allow me to tell the story of my sports and adventures that I deeply love.

The V and B Monbana Mayenne captain will now prioritize X-rays as well as a complete medical diagnosis.

Vendee Globe, also known as the "Everest of the Seas", is a non-stop, solo sailing race around the world. It starts and finishes in Les Sables-d'Olonne (France) and covers 24,000 nautical mile. Skippers will travel through some of the most treacherous water on the planet, such as the Southern Ocean, and the Cape of Good Hope.

The race began on Sunday with 40 skippers from 11 countries. Yannick Bestaven of France won the Vendee globe in 2020-21 in 80 days, three hours and forty-four minutes.

As the fleet passes Canary Islands, the Briton Sam Goodchild is leading the way. Sebastien Simon from France is second and Justine Mettraux from Switzerland third. Christian Radnedge is the editor.

(source: Reuters)