10th in the last Vendée Globe, completed in 82 days, Maxime Sorel will be one of the skippers at the start of the solo round-the-world race on November 10. Supported by Helly Hansen, the 38-year-old sailor will be one of the favorites.
May 2023, Maxime Sorel reaches the summit of Everest. 18 months after this feat, the sailor/mountaineer is about to set sail on the 10th Vendée Globe, the Everest of the seas. And it didn't take long for the skipper of the IMOCA V and B - Monbana - Mayenne to get his sea legs back. He was already at sea a few days after returning from his Himalayan ascent. With just a few days to go before the start of the race in Les Sables d'Olonne, Maxime Sorel is preparing to face the elements again, this time at sea. And here too, he can count on the support of his partner Helly Hansen, who has been at his side for several years.
"Helly Hansen has been with me since 2018, so it's a partnership that lasts and that I can count on," Maxime Sorel explained in an episode of the We Rock Sport podcast we dedicated to him shortly after his ascent of the world's highest mountain. "In the mountains, as at sea, we are confronted with extreme situations, and the equipment supplied by Helly Hansen is perfectly adapted to these difficult conditions. In fact, in the South Seas, I had a lot of ski clothing. In particular, I used the Lifa MerinoThe Odin 9 Worlds 2.0 jacket has become an essential part of my wardrobe over the last few weeks spent in the mountains.
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This time, the sailor will face both low temperatures close to zero and very hot conditions where the thermometer may climb to 40°C. "On the boat, you have to be able to adapt to these temperature differences, and above all to stay dry. I can count on Helly Hansen to provide me with the best products for this," adds the skipper, who is more than ever determined to perform well in this Vendée Globe 2024 - 2025, especially as his three major partners V and B, Monbana and the Mayenne department have decided to end their partnership at the end of the race.
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"I'm a committed and passionate sportsman, and I love challenges more than anything. This decision in no way detracts from my determination to give a good account of myself as a sportsman on this round-the-world race. As usual, I'm already looking to the future with confidence, as I feel I still have a lot to give, whether at sea, on land or in business," assures the skipper from Calais, who now wishes to devote his sporting adventures to the service of health, and prove during a new international campaign in the IMOCA class, which will take him all the way to the Vendée Globe 2028, that nothing is impossible.
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"The Vendée Globe is a real challenge. Mentally and physically, it's exhausting. Every day, you have a problem and you have to solve it as quickly as possible so that the next ones remain manageable and you don't feel overwhelmed. You're alone against the elements. And you know that the ocean is the strongest. However, as difficult as it may be, being part of it is a great source of satisfaction for me. I've been preparing for this moment for four years. It's like our Olympic Games," concludes the French skipper.
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