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Bad winds force Victoria’s Record-breaking sailor back out to sea

Jeanne Socrates aims to break the world record as the oldest person to sail the world on a solo trip
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77-year-old Jeanne Socrates is making her third attempt to become the oldest person to sail around the world solo. (Black Press Media File)

A world-record holding sailor is facing a sluggish slide to her finish line.

Victoria resident Jeanne Socrates has been sailing for 338 days in an effort to break the world record as the oldest person to perform a solo sailing trip, uninterrupted, around the world. Socrates already holds the title as the oldest woman to do so after doing a similar trip in 2013.

However, now just 127 km away from her destination in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, Socrates faces a stand-still due to a lack of wind.

ALSO READ: Victoria’s record-setting sailor’s homecoming delayed by slow winds

On Wednesday, when she was around 125 km away, Socrates told Black Press that she was traveling at “a walking speed,” and had hoped for the winds to pick up.

Tracking Socrates online, however, it can be seen that she had entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca, only to have to turn around early on Thursday morning.

As of Thursday afternoon, Socrates was moving at an average pace of 1.4 knots (2.59 km) per hour, slowly making a u-turn.

ALSO READ: Senior sailor leaves Victoria to sail around the world — again

“Checking weather to see if Friday afternoon is possible..?” Socrates wrote quickly on her blog on Thursday.

According to Environment Canada, winds are expected to pick up at the west entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, coming from the west. A strong wind warning is in effect predicting that the wind is expected to reach up to 10 knots early Friday morning, increasing to 20 knots by Friday afternoon.

To track Socrates live you can visit gsattrack.com or marinetraffic.com

nicole.crescenzi@vicnews.com


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