As we get Cruising Compass ready to mail to you on Thursday morning, Cole Brauer, who is striving to become the first American woman to race solo, non-stop around the world, is closing in on A Coruna, Spain, and the Global Solo Challenge’s finish line. In a fleet of 14 boats, she is the only woman and she will finish second. On Wednesday, she was hoping to arrive at dawn on Thursday, which is appropriate since her boat is named First Light. Brauer has become a social media and traditional media phenomenon since she uploads daily posts to her Instagram account via Starlink and has attracted more than 450,000 followers. This has led to a major feature in the New York Times, a three-minute interview on the NBC evening news, a major feature in the USA Today network and more. Cole has become an inspiration to many as she joins the ranks of accomplished women who have proven time and again that competitive offshore sailing is not just for boys, sailors such Dawn Riley, Tracy Edwards, Ellen McArthur, Dee Caffari, Sam Davies and Kirsten Neuschafer, who won the 2023 Golden Globe Race. Congratulations, Cole. What you are accomplishing is and will be amazing.
Check out Cole’s Instagram page here.
Check out the Global Solo Challenge website here.
Check out SafeSail, a non-profit organization Cole supports, here.
