Jeanne Socrates

(s/v Nereida) - For the solo, non-stop circumnavigation completed at age 70. After two previous attempts, Nereida left Victoria for the second time on 22 October 2012, rounding the Horn in relatively benign conditions on 7 January 2013. From there Jeanne continued across the South Atlantic, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and headed back past Australia into the Pacific. She sailed back into Victoria late on 8 July 2013, more than 25,700 miles and 258 days (nearly half of them in the Southern Ocean) after leaving. The entire circumnavigation was made under sail, with no use of the engine.

Although the World Sailing Speed Record Council no longer ratifies claims based on ‘human condition’ such as age, they do award Performance Certificates from time to time, the recording conditions for which are as rigorous as those for a world record. These normally go to the skipper and yacht posting the initial speed for a route recognised as a world record course but which does not yet have a ‘benchmark’ time. As such, Jeanne and Nereida have received a Performance Certificate for the First Woman Singlehanded Around the World, Victoria BC to Victoria BC, Canada, with an official time of 258 days 14 hours 16 minutes and 36 seconds.