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 will attempt to climb 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 will return to the race with Christopher Pratt for the second half of the double season.
2022: Route du Rhum - 5th
Défi Azimut - 4th
2020-21 : Vendée Globe - 10th (82d 14h 30m 15s)
2020 : Défi Azimut - 11th
Vendée-Arctique-Les Sables d'Olonne - 11th
2019 : Bermuda 1000 Race - 5th
2018 : Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe - Withdrawal
Grand Prix Guyader - 10th
2017 : Transat Jacques Vabre - 1st Class 40
Rolex Fasnet Race - 1st in Class40
Guyader Grand Prix - 3rd Class40
2016 : Normandy Channel Race - 3rd Class 40
Transat Quebec/Saint-Malo - 18th Class40
2015 : Transat Jacques Vabre 2015 - 2nd Class 40
2014 : Route du rhum destination Guadeloupe - 1st Vintage Class40 and 23rd overall
Guyader Trophy - 1st Vintage Class40 and 8th overall
Vintage Class40 World Champion