French Vendée Globe skipper Maxime Sorel, skipper of V and B – Monbana – Mayenne, is unfortunately the first skipper to abandon the tenth edition of the race.
“I can’t go on, I’m abandoning this my second Vendée Globe” grimaced an emotional Maxime Sorel early this Friday afternoon from Madeira. He has been forced out by a combination of a bad ankle injury and damage to his mainsail hook system and his mainsail car. He will head ashore in Madeira forthwith to have his ankle X-Rayed.
Many skippers have caught up miles from behind.
Leader at 18:00 hrs is Italy’s Giancarlo Pedote (Prysmain), with Britain’s Sam Goodchild (VULNERABLE) dropping to second and Sébastien Simon (Groupe Dubreuil) in third.
The leaders are not well into the band of light winds which separate them from the Cape Verde islands.
Speeds are down to four of five knots at times with the lateral spread between the two VULNERABLE IMOCAs – Thomas Ruyant in the west and leader Sam Goodchild to the east – at around 100 nautical miles.
Britain’s Sam Davies (Initiatives Coeur) has moved up to 5th from 13, and Pip Hare (MEDALLIA) is now in 31st place.
Hungarian skipper Szabolcs Weöres has managed to make some progress removing most of his damaged A7 high wind kite from his forestay but he will not now stop at Madeira as the winds are still forecast to be too strong.
Instead he plans to make his way steadily to the Canary Islands which are 250 miles to his south. He is still upwind in winds of 30kts today but reported to be in fair spirits and determined to fight on.
Vendee Globe Leaders at 18:00 hrs GMT Friday 15 November
1st ITA Giancarlo Pedote Prysmain
2nd GBR Sam Goodchild VULNERABLE
3rd FRA Sébastien Simon Groupe Dubreuil
4th FRA Clarisse Crémer L’OCCITANE en Provence
5th GBR Samantha Davies Initiatives-Cœur
6th SUI Justine Mettraux Teamwork-Team Snef
7th FRA Damien Seguin GROUPE APICIL
8th FRA Nicolas Lunven HOLCIM – PRB
9th GER Boris Herrmann MALIZIA – SEAEXPLORER
10th FRA Jean Le Cam TOUT COMMENCE EN FINISTERE – ARMOR-LUX
11th FRA Benjamin Dutreux GUYOT ENVIRONNEMENT – WATER FAMILY
Other GBR:
31st GBR Pip Hare MEDALLIA
