As Dec. 3 marks two months into Jeanne Socrates’s mission to become the oldest sailor to circumnavigate the world, the 76-year-old also reached 6,576 nautical miles.
Socrates is already a world record breaker, having become the oldest woman to sail around the globe when she was 70. Now, she’d beat that record and earn the title of the oldest person — man or woman — if she’s successful.
She pushed off from Victoria, B.C., on Oct. 3. Now, Socrates is 1,255 nautical miles from Cape Horn, off the coast of South America.
“See you in May!” Socrates calls as she heads out from #VictoriaBC. She won’t touch land again for at least 7 months. pic.twitter.com/Lec0PxE8Dj
— Keili Bartlett (@KeiliBartlett) October 3, 2018
READ MORE: Senior sailor leaves Victoria to sail around the world — again
It hasn’t been all smooth sailing, as Socrates and her vessel Nereida are currently passing through what sailors call the ‘roaring forties’ — the stretch between the 40th and 50th latitude known for its strong winds.
Socrates has an estimated five or six months on sea ahead of her, alone and unassisted. Her only contact with other humans is over her radio and daily blog updates.
Still, she seemed in chipper spirits as she wrote on Dec. 3, “Not being a racer, my priority is to stay safe, even if that means stopping or going slowly at times — no problem!”
READ MORE: B.C. sailor’s attempt to break record crosses Equator line
@KeiliBartlettkeili.bartlett@blackpress.ca
