A 77-year old Canadian woman has sailed into the record books as the oldest person to sail alone around the world.

Jeanne Socrates’ achievement was recognised by the UK-based Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) when she sailed into Victoria BC Harbour on 7th September, having successfully completed the single-handed unassisted nonstop circumnavigation.

Jeanne set sail from Victoria on the 3 October 2018 on Nereida.

The yacht suffered severe mainsail damage in the Cape Horn area which took a long time to repair. It also suffered a knock-down SW of New Zealand. She entered Timaru Bay in the South Island to make repairs, and later lost her headsail in the North Pacific.

The OCC is the ‘home port’ for those who have sailed long distances across big oceans. With 48 nationalities represented among almost 2,900 members and Port Officers around the world, it has a more diverse membership and a more international reach than any other blue water sailing organisation.

OCC exists to encourage long-distance sailing in small boats. A Full Member of the OCC must have completed a qualifying voyage of a non-stop port-to-port ocean passage, where the distance between the two ports is not less than 1,000 nautical miles, in a vessel of not more than 21.36m LOA.

www.oceancruisingclub.org