First American Woman to Sail Around the Globe Unassisted
Cole Brauer: Biography at a Glance
- Cole Brauer is the first American woman to sail solo around the Globe unassisted.
- Cole gained global attention when she became the youngest competitor and only female sailor in the inaugural Global Solo Challenge race, which she finished in second place after 130 days alone at sea.
- A fierce advocate for women in the sport of sailing, Cole captivated her more than half a million followers on social media by putting her grit, charisma, and positive attitude on full display.
- On stage, Cole shares her remarkable journey, which included mechanical issues, extreme weather, and injuries, all the while battling the mental challenge of not seeing another person for over four months.
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Biography
Cole Brauer is the first American woman to sail solo around the Globe unassisted. Despite being the youngest competitor and only female sailor in the inaugural Global Solo Challenge race, she finished in second place after 130 days alone at sea. During her voyage, she had to fix mechanical issues, contend with extreme weather, and tend to her own injuries, all the while battling the mental challenge of not seeing another person for over four months.
Cole is a fierce advocate for women in the sport of sailing, and through her grit, charisma, and positive attitude gained half a million followers on social media during her time at sea, telling the story of an offshore race like never before.
Cole grew up on Long Island before attending the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, where she learned to sail. After graduation, she moved to Maine and began taking work delivering boats, ultimately becoming the captain of a Class40. When the boat was sold and renamed First Light, the new owners offered to let Cole race it. She became the first woman to win the Bermuda One Two during the summer of 2023 and then headed around the world.
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Solo But Not Alone: Lessons Learned Sailing Around the World
In the spring of 2024, Cole Brauer became the first American woman to race a sailboat solo, nonstop around the globe. Cole captured the hearts of hundreds of thousands with her cheerful updates from some of the most remote and treacherous waters on the planet.
In this conversation, she shares her story of grit, the joy of adventure, and the lessons she learned the hard way. This candid exploration of what it takes to chase your goals leaves audiences inspired to live authentically and dream bigger in their own personal and professional lives.
