Cole Brauer, a 29-year-old woman from Long Island, New York, became the first American woman to sail solo and non-stop around the world.
She begins her Global Solo Challenge on October 29, 2023, on the coast of A Coruña in northwestern Spain. The race attracted about 19 sailors, but after a number of withdrawals only seven remained. Brower is the youngest contestant among them.
Brower, who has a large following on Instagram, documents her perilous journey on her favorite racing boat, First Light. She shared every moment of the 26,000-nautical-mile voyage with her loved ones on social media.
In one of the videos, she can be heard saying: “I can’t believe it, guys. I’ve traveled around the world,” as she nears the finish line. “It’s crazy. It’s absolutely crazy. It’s awesome. Let’s do it again. Let’s keep going!”
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Who is Cole Brauer? Why is she competing?
Brower always wanted to be the first American woman to compete in races around the world and prove that the male-dominated sport could become more “open and less traditional,” according to her sailing profile on the Global Solo website.
“I will fight against the ongoing sexual, verbal and physical harassment not only for myself, but also for Collins and professional female sailors in the sport,” she said, highlighting how female sailors are protesting for equal pay.
During the challenge, Brower sailed into the Southern Ocean and off the west coast of Africa. She works out on her yacht and doesn’t hesitate to share her terrifying experiences at sea with fans.
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In December she suffered rib injuries when she was brutally thrown over First Light due to a pull that occurs when a ship unexpectedly tacks into the wind in hostile waters.
On December 29, Brower entered the Pacific Ocean and returned to the Atlantic Ocean on January 27. On February 5, she completed her 100-day journey.
“Solo sailors, you have to be able to do everything. You have to be able to stand up even if you’re tired, and you have to be able to fix everything on the ship,” she told NBC.
Brower graduated from East Hampton High School in 2012. She later attended the University of Hawaii, where she became interested in solo sailing.
She said her co-captain, Cat Chimney, approached her with the challenge because it fit in with her primary goal of becoming the first American woman to travel the world alone.
Polish skipper Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz became the first woman to circumnavigate the globe solo, sailing 31,166 nautical miles from 1976 to 1978.