The Indomitable Jean Socrates
Sailing Legend Jeanne Socrates,world record breaking solo sailor, remains the oldest person to have sailed round the world "singlehandedly, unassisted and non-stop via the Five Great Capes" when she finished in September 2019. After 340 days at sea, then aged 77yrs, this was Jeanne’s third attempt due to disasters on her previous two attempts.
Inspired by Jeanne’s tenacity and determination, passionate young local keelboat sailor Melissa Warren and ORCV General committee member ,facilitated a lively interview this week with Jeanne, who is currently “across the ditch” in NZ, with a keen audience at Royal Brighton Yacht
Melissa Warren sailing in the Melbourne to Hobart onboard Jaffa. Photo Melissa
Jeanne’s sailing journey started with early retirement at age 50yrs along with her husband with their shared dream to ”go cruising” and circumnavigate the world, choosing a sea kindly Najad 380 cruising boat “Nereida”. Jeanne undertook as many theory sail training courses as she could and enjoyed the camaraderie of crewed boats whilst learning on the job.
With the death of her husband in 2003 due to cancer, her determination to see their shared dream accomplished was not diminished and determined to continue with their original plan, she entered the 2006 Transpac as her first ocean race “going solo”!
Continuing her all solo adventures, experiences have been from sublime to hair raising, and she has suffered damage to both her boats and her body, falling from the top of a ladder when loading her boat for her last circumnavigation. An unfortunate painful delay for the plucky Jeanne, with three months in hospital requiring surgery for nasal,vertebral and multiple rib fractures. But no faltering in her focus on starting out again, so in November 2018, she set off this time from North America for her third circumnavigation attempt to clinch the world record title as the world’s oldest person to sail around the Five Great Capes.
Jeanne after completing the Guinness Book of Records circumnavigation Photo Jeanne Socrates
Now aged 81 years, her boat remains her home and her companion and she continues to sail the global cruising lifestyle, stopping off to explore and meet new people along the way.
Jeanne’s presentation was both inspiring and timely, her calm and cheerful delivery and words of wisdom were relatable for all.
- Age is no barrier.
- Learning/ gaining knowledge is important.
- Failure to prepare is to prepare to fail.
- Experience gained is a masterful teacher when things go wrong.
- Stay calm in a crisis - full focus only on the moment and the most important job to be done.
- Always sail with autopilot set to wind to reduce the risk of crash gybes.
On managing the isolation of solo sailing, Jeanne always feels at one with her boat as her companion in the team. Her advice for a successful journey -
- Look after yourself.
- The importance of nutritious food for body and soul and the value of the ritual of cooking the evening meal and celebrating important events.
- Managing sleep with more daytime hours allows for less sleep at night when shipping, weather, and other hazards are more challenging.
A remarkable women,Jeanne’s indomitable determination, resilience and resourcefulness is truly inspiring for all and her presentation elicited a standing ovation. Thank you Jeanne for sharing your journey and inspiring others. Keep up to date with Jean Socrates voyages here.
From “inspiration” to “aspiration”, back in Australia on the other side of “the ditch”, there are opportunities for women aspiring to get into sailing to get on board and see how far you can go.
The Keelboat Introduction to Sailing Savvy (KISS) 2024 program, established in 2022 by Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club’s Immediate Past Commodore Lee Renfree in partnership with the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria has now graduated 52 women over two years, empowering them to transition over a 14 week period from May to August, from “passengers” to active, confident “participants”. The KISS 2024 Launch kicks off Wednesday 15 May with a panel of three previous program graduates presenting on “Facing Your Fears”.
So if you are female and keen to gain skills on keelboats, jump on board now as places are limited and are filling fast. Why not “Bring a Friend - Make a Friend - Find a Friend” and we will aim to place you on the same boat for skills training.
Need more inspiration?
Read about Jo Bone as a graduate of the KISS Class of 2023 and her journey through the program and beyond.
Jo Bone from Warrnambool embraced the KISS program Photo KISS media
In the spirit of International Womens Day 2024 theme “Count Her In” why not “Count Yourself In”?
For all information and registration KISS 2024
In addition, an exciting new event for the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV), the inaugural Marine Safety Expo 2024 will take place at the Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC) on Sunday, July 21, 2024 from 10am to 4pm. Not just for members but also for the wider boating community, this family-friendly event is open to all boating enthusiasts. Admission is free but spots are limited, so read more and secure your place.
The ORCV mission is clear - to prioritise marine safety and preserve life at sea. With an impeccable safety record and commitment to promoting a safety culture on the water this is an excellent opportunity to learn about how to stay safe and get the most out of your experience.
Come and join us!
Count Her In - Photo Denise Smeaton
