An experienced American sailor
Unknown in the French microcosm of ocean racing, Cole Brauer grew up in Maine, on the east coast of the United States. She moved to the island of Hawaii for school, and it was in the waters of the Pacific that she learned to sail.
It was then in Florida that she began to scour the local offshore regatta circuit, raced mainly by crew. But it's solo racing that she feels most at home with. In a country unfamiliar with single-handed ocean racing, she managed to find the funding and federate a team to help her prepare for the Global Solo Challenge.
A reliable, seaworthy Class 40
First Light cole's Class 40 is an Owen Clarke Design launched in 2008. Simple, seaworthy and unadorned, Cole has been sailing her for over 8 years. Aboard this boat, which she knows like the back of her hand, she initially wanted to enter the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023.
But the impossibility of achieving a decent ranking with this old-generation Class 40 prompted her to change her plans, and line up for the Global Solo Challenge, as she explains to us:
" I was able to take advantage of my transatlantic crossing between the United States and Spain to validate the boat's preparation. I carried out numerous tests every day, and during this transatlantic race I discovered that my energy capacity was too low for a round-the-world race. To be on the safe side, we added solar panels before leaving La Coruña. As for the rest, I know First Light really well, and I hope to beat the Class 40 round-the-world record, which stands at 137 days" .
Smiling and ambitious, Cole finds her inspiration in the works of Ellen McArthur. In the image of this reference in Anglo-Saxon sailing, Cole hopes to take the start of the Vendée Globe 2028, thus becoming the first American to tackle the Everest of the seas.
A first in the Grand Sud
Cole left Corunna at the end of October and is currently in 2 e position on the Global Solo Challenge, a non-stop solo round-the-world race for professionals and amateurs alike on an original pattern of staggered departures. As we speak, she approaches her arrival in the Indian Ocean with serenity and curiosity:
" The next few weeks will be a big first for me. This approach to the southern seas will enable me to improve my experience, while protecting both the boat and myself! It was difficult at first, but I think I'm beginning to develop a better approach to dealing with the strong lows we encounter here".
A hectic first few weeks of racing
The trip down the Atlantic wasn't all plain sailing, as Cole explains:
" We had a few technical problems, mainly with the autopilot. One of the yawing caused by the pilot's stall caused me to lose control a severe rib contusion. It just makes me realize that for my next race, I'm going to spend a lot more time creating a system that makes it much easier to switch between primary and secondary autopilots. Just to keep things safe and simple! Apart from that, cold air condensation is a constant problem. I'm constantly evacuating water from the boat. I've never had this kind of problem, but I know that once we're back in warmer weather, the boat will dry out!
And what about solitude?
" I feel really comfortable sailing solo on First Light. And with the other competitors, we often talk to each other. We're a really nice group of sailors. We share ideas and when something goes wrong, we discuss it. We try to save each other a technical stopover if we can! It's really great to have conversations with them. We're a team!"
