RESERVOIR IS BOARDING WITH THE SKIPPER MAXIME SOREL ON THE IMOCA V AND B-MAYENNE FOR THE 9TH EDITION OF THE SAILING RACE VENDÉE GLOBE 2020-2021

RESERVOIR is boarding with the skipper Maxime SOREL on the IMOCA V and B-Mayenne for the 9th edition of the sailing race Vendée Globe 2020-2021. He is wearing a Tiefenmesser Bronze RESERVOIR for his first participation in this solo, non-stop sailing race around the world without assistance.

It is above all a human and entrepreneurial story between the young skipper and the RESERVOIR team, whose partners share similar backgrounds with him: a first job with the comfort of a well-defined living environment, then a deep dive to live of one’s passion. For the former, it is about launching a global luxury watchmaking house within an established market, for the latter it is about becoming a professional skipper and climbing the Everest of the seas !

Maxime SOREL has two objectives: to finish his first round-the-world sailing trip and climb on the podium for the IMOCA class yachts with straight daggerboards:

“In a few days I’ll be going for my first Vendée Globe. I have full confidence in my sailboat and the work my technical team has done. I have great feelings with this boat from the start. He is very healthy and versatile at all gaits. It’s not the fastest in the fleet, but it has some qualities and I am convinced that it will allow me to complete this sailing race around the world. I have done everything I can to perform well with my novice weapons around the world, and above all, I wish to share this extraordinary adventure with the public. I am very proud to board the Reservoir watches with me, which will punctuate my solo and non-stop around the world. ”

As François-Maire Neycensas, Chief Marketing Officer, underlines, “We share the same values of authenticity, determination and being bold. Embarking with Maxime means living intensely an extraordinary adventure, as we try to live it on our scale with our collections of innovative men watches. ”

A LIMITED EDITION STAMPED MAXIME SOREL

For this exceptional race, of which only 89 competitors have managed to cross the finish line since its creation in 1989, the skipper will be carrying a waterproof case containing 10 Tiefenmesser Bronze watches, future limited series stamped Maxime Sorel . Each watch will be certified as having been around the world, symbolizing the determination and daring of both teams. Each of the 10 pieces will symbolize a major point crossed, such as Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope. See you in 2021 on arrival to discover this limited edition !

9TH EDITION OF THE SAILING RACE VENDÉE GLOBE 2020-2021

SOLO, NON STOP AND WITHOUT ASSISTANCE

To date, the Vendée Globe is the greatest sailing race round the world, solo, non-stop and without assistance. The event followed in the wake of the Golden Globe which had initiated the first circumnavigation of this type via the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn) in 1968. Only one out of the nine pioneers who had set off in 1968 succeeded in returning to Falmouth, the major port of British Cornwall. On 6th April 1969, after 313 days at sea, British sailor Robin Knox-Johnston finally reached his goal.

Twenty years later, after having won the BOC Challenge twice (solo round the world with stopovers), navigator Philippe Jeantot introduced the idea of a new race around the world, but..non-stop! The Vendée Globe race was born. On 26th November 1989, thirteen sailors took the start of the first edition which lasted over three months. Only seven returned to Les Sables d’Olonne.

THE EVEREST OF THE SEAS

The eight editions of what is now called the Everest of the seas by the public have enabled 167 contenders to take the start of this extraordinary race. Only 89 of them managed to cross the finish line. This figure alone shows the extreme difficulty of this global event in which solo racers are confronted to freezing cold, gigantic waves and heavy skies which sweep the Great South! The Vendée Globe is first and foremost a journey beyond the seas and deep down oneself.

It has rewarded great sailors : Titouan Lamazou in 1990, Alain Gautier in 1993, Christophe Auguin in 1997, Vincent Riou in 2005, François Gabart in 2013 and Armel LeCléac’h in 2017. The skipper from Finistère became the new record holder of the race in 74 days. Only one sailor has won it twice : Michel Desjoyeaux, in 2001 and 2009. The 9th Vendée Globe will leave Les Sables d’Olonne on Sunday 8th November 2020.

THE SKIPPER MAXIME SOREL ON THE IMOCA V AND B-MAYENNE

This is a Verdier / VPLP plan. She was born in 2007 and immediately became an “innovative” sailboat due to her planing forms for the time. The monohull boat 60 feet IMOCA V and B – Mayenne was first of all led by Kito de Pavant then by Armel Tripon and Thomas Rettant. Despite some technical problems in his career, he has an enviable record, notably with a second place in 2009 and a fourth in 2015 in the Transat Jacques Vabre and good performances offshore in the Vendée Globe. It is a reputedly versatile racing monohull that is fast at all speeds. It does not have foils like the “last generation” sailboats but has other qualities, especially in light winds.

Specifications of the monohull by Maxime Sorel:

• Architect: Cabinet Van Peteghem – Lauriot Prévost; Guillaume Verdier
• Shipyard: Indiana Yachting (Scarlino, Italy), Launch date: 2007
• Length: 18.28 m
• Width: 5.50 m
• Draft: 4.50 m
• Displacement (weight): 8.7 tons
• Number of fins: 2
• Mast height: 28 m
• Keel sail: Carbon
• Sail area upwind: 365 m²
• Sail area downwind: 750 m²
• Sail number: 53