59° North Sailingvideo
Cole Brauer // The First American Woman to Race Around the World
September 23, 2025 · 1h 10m · 275 views
Sailboat crosses finish line under golden dramatic sky.
What this video covers
Cole Brauer, the first American woman to race solo non-stop around the world, discusses her path to the 2024 Global Solo Challenge with host Nikki Henderson on the "On The Wind" podcast.6:43 Brauer started sailing at 19 at the University of Hawaii, raced the Pac Cup as watch captain, then moved to the East Coast where mentor Timmy Fetch pushed her to treat sailing as a professional industry — Newport, Rhode Island, Charleston, South Carolina, Miami, and Caribbean circuits included.16:39 She describes learning electrical work, boat delivery, and docking from scratch while absorbing knowledge from experienced sailors, and credits wanting to be "the dumbest person in the room" as a core driver of her development.20:05 Brauer addresses being told she was too short for the Southern Ocean, her all-or-nothing focus, and the 450,000-person following she built by sharing raw, personal content during the race.6:58 She crossed the finish line wearing a hat reading "Wild Feminist."6:51 The conversation also covers Brauer's creative side, how she decompresses with autobiographies, and her view that bringing feminine energy to offshore sailing is a distinct skill set.31:58 Henderson briefly mentions her upcoming Middle Sea Race aboard a J/122.5:47
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