Sailor Cole Brauer makes history as the first American woman to race solo around the world
Aboard her 40-foot racing boat First Light, 29-year-old Cole Brauer just became the first American woman to race nonstop around the world by herself.
Aboard her 40-foot racing boat First Light, 29-year-old Cole Brauer just became the first American woman to race nonstop around the world by herself.
The New York native pulled into A Coruña, Spain, on Thursday after a treacherous 30,000-mile journey that took 130 days.
She thanked a cheering crowd of family and fans who had been waiting for her on shore.
“This is really cool and so overwhelming in every sense of the word,” she exclaimed, before drinking Champagne from her trophy.
The 5-foot-2 powerhouse placed second out of 16 avid sailors who competed in the Global Solo Challenge, a circumnavigation race that started in A Coruña with participants from 10 countries. The first-of-its-kind event allowed a wide range of boats to set off in successive departures based on performance characteristics. Brauer started on Oct. 29, sailing down the west coast of Africa, over to Australia, and around the tip of South America before returning to Spain.
Rating: 5