British sailor to attempt record-setting circumnavigation from Victoria
Jeanne Socrates, 74, hopes to become the oldest person to sail solo, non-stop around the world
Jeanne Socrates says her age is not on her mind as she prepares in Victoria, B.C., to depart for an non-stop solo sail around the world.
But at 74-years-old, her age could help her set a record.
Successfully navigating the globe alone without stopping would give the British sailor the title of the oldest person to accomplish the feat.
"By non-stop, that means not setting foot on land. Being at sea for however long it takes you to get from A back to A," Socrates said.
The record is currently held by a 71-year-old man from Japan.
Socrates already holds the record for the oldest woman to make such a trip around the world. She set that record over 2012 and 2013 with a 259-day journey that also started and finished in Victoria.
She admits this will likely be her last trip around the globe, but she's not worried that her age will affect her physical ability to make such a demanding journey.
"Having my husband and other friends die of cancer, you suddenly realize, well, I could find myself in a similar situation and within a year I could be dead. So let's make the most of what we've got," she said.
Socrates will spend the next few months in Victoria doing maintenance work on her sail boat, the Nereida, and packing the provisions she will need for seven to eight months at sea.
Socrates is also using her trip to raise money for for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in Britain.
