Honorary OCC member Jeanne Socrates named to Cape Horn Hall of Fame
by Daria Blackwell 2 Oct 2023 05:51 UTC
Jeanne Socrates aboard s/v Nereida © Kevin Light
Four Whitbread/Volvo/Ocean Race Veterans and two record-breaking female solo circumnavigators were inducted into the Cape Horn Hall of Fame (Held at Les Sables d’Olonne).
British solo sailor Jeanne Socrates is a three-time circumnavigator via Cape Horn aboard the Najad 380 cruising yacht Nereida. Jeanne took up sailing later in life when she was almost 50 years old. Her first solo circumnavigation ended 60nm short of the finish when an autopilot failure shipwrecked her yacht on the shore. She later went back to complete that final leg from Acapulco in the new Nereida.
Jeanne has completed three solo circumnavigations:
2009-12: Solo circumnavigation one-and-a-half times around the world via Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope (twice) & Leeuwin (twice) from the UK to Canada via South Africa, New Zealand, Victoria, B.C., S. Africa, Tasmania, Tahiti, Hawaii, Victoria B.C.
2013: The first woman to complete a solo non-stop circumnavigation from North America and, at 71, the oldest woman to sail solo non-stop around the world.
2019: At 77, the oldest person to complete a solo non-stop unassisted circumnavigation around the five Great Capes.
In 2013, Jeanne was awarded the Cruising Club of America Blue Water Medal, the Royal Cruising Club Medal for Seamanship, and the Ocean Cruising Club Barton Cup. In 2020, the members of the OCC elected Jeanne as an Honorary Member. She had been an ordinary member since 1999.
Jeanne Socrates - IACH 2023 Cape Horn Hall of Fame acceptance
Website for S/V Nereida
This article has been provided by the courtesy of the Ocean Cruising Club.