Jeanne Socrates, has been a part of the Unorganized Sail Sport clan, who play by their own rules and set their own goals on the water. Jeanne now holds the oldest person’ record for nonstop, east-about, unassisted circumnavigation. But she is also cheered on and supported by many people, including co-members of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, Royal Lymington Yacht Club and Cruising Club of America. The photo above is of Jeanne receiving the a Special Recognition Award from Bill, Commodore of Cruising Club of America, presented at St. Francis Yacht Club for her 4th Circumnavigation.
She started sailing at age 48 and nine years later, after RYA yachting courses in the United Kingdom, on lasers and big boats, decided 7 years into sailing that she wanted to retire and co-skipper with her husband on their Najad 361. They crossed the Atlantic in late 1999, and cruised Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda and East coast of US and Canada – up as far as Baddeck, Nova Scotia and (ICW from Virginia) down to Miami.
When Jeanne’s husband died of cancer in 2003 (after diagnosed in Grenada in 2001) she continued her adventures single-handed. She sailed from Bonaire to Ft Lauderdale via Cartagena, Panama, Roatan, Belize, Florida Keys and shipped to Vancouver.
She then sailed Pacific NW and to Alaska, California and Mexico several times, competing in the Single-Handed TransPac in 2006 – her first major (3 wk) solo ocean passage….First circumnavigation was 2007-8 from Mexico, cruising westabout to Polynesia – Australia-S.Africa-Brazil-Panama-Mexico – where she lost her boat on surf beach, 19June2008, 60 miles short of completion in Zihuatanejo.
In 2016, she sailed that last leg from Acapulco to ‘complete’ that round trip!) In new new boat ‘Nereida’ (a Najad 380). She tried several times for nonstop unassisted solo circumnavigation – 2010-2012 – circumnavigated via Five Great Capes (with repair stops) after bad knockdown nearing Cape Horn2012-2013 Succeeded in first NONstop, unassisted RTW – via named Great Capes and Tasmania – became ‘oldest woman’ to do so (and first woman to do so nonstop and unassisted from N.America) 2016.
She started a fresh attempt but big storm off Oregon caused damage so returned to port – left again in November, but had to pull in to San Diego for repairs. 2017 – 1 week before planned departure, she fell onto hard times and was badly injured, so she postponed to 2018-2019 – successfully completed nonstop unassisted RTW via all Five Gt Capes despite many weather-related and gear problems. It took 11 months instead of expected 7 months! Now she holds ‘oldest person’ record for nonstop, east-about, unassisted circumnavigation.
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