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Who is Cole Brauer? 29-yr-old old skipper becomes first US woman to sail solo around the globe
Cole Brauer, a 29-year-old woman from Long Island, New York, has become the first woman in the United States to sail solo non-stop across the globe.
Cole Brauer, a 29-year-old woman from Long Island, New York, has become the first woman in the United States to sail solo non-stop across the globe.
She started her Global Solo Challenge on October 29, 2023, off the coast of A Coruña, northwest Spain. The tournament drew approximately 19 sailors, but only seven remained after some withdrawals. Brauer was the youngest contestant among them.
Brauer, who has an impressive Instagram following, documented her perilous journey on her favourite racing boat, 'First Light'. She shared every moment of the 26,000 nautical miles long race with her loved ones on social media.
In one of the videos, she can be heard saying, “I can’t believe it guys. I sailed around the world" as she got closer to the finish line. “That’s crazy. That’s absolutely crazy. This is awesome. Let’s just do it again. Let’s keep going!”
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Who is Cole Brauer and why she participated in the competition?
According to her sailing profile on Global Solo website, Brauer always wanted to be the first American woman to race around the world and to demonstrate that the male-dominated sport can become more “open and less traditional”.
“I will be fighting against the constant sexual, verbal, and physical harassment for not just myself but for the Corinthian and Professional women sailors in this sport," she said, stressing that how women sailors have been protesting for equal pay.
During the challenge, Brauer sailed into the Southern Ocean and off the west coast of Africa. She worked out on the yacht and never hesitated to share her terrible experiences at sea with her fans.
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In December, she suffered a rib injury after being brutally flung across the "First Light" due to broaching, which occurs when a boat unexpectedly reverses course toward the wind in hostile waters.
On December 29, Brauer entered the Pacific Ocean and returned to the Atlantic on January 27. She completed her 100-day journey on February 5.
Speaking to NBC, she said, “Solo sailors, you have to be able to do everything. You have to be able to get up even when you’re so exhausted and you have to be able to fix everything on the boat.”
Brauer graduated from East Hampton High School in 2012. Later, she attended the University of Hawaii, where she developed an interest in solo sailing.
She stated that her co-skipper, Cat Chimney, offered this challenge to her since it aligns with her primary goal of becoming the first American woman to race alone around the world.
Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz, a Polish skipper, became the first woman to sail alone around the world, covering 31,166 nautical miles from 1976 to 1978.
