At the top of her Instagram account, Cole Brauer wrote: “Goal: First U.S. woman to race solo around the world.”  

Now, she can check it off her list. 

The New York native’s race profile lists Boothbay as her home. She is the daughter of Boothbay residents Kim and David Brauer and is a former sailing instructor at Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club. March 7, she became the first American woman to complete the Global Solo Challenge race; the finish makes her the first American woman to race solo, nonstop and unassisted around the world, according to a press release from her team. Brauer placed second out of 16 racers. 

“It hasn’t really hit me yet. Everyone’s so excited, but for me it hasn’t really sunk in that I now hold these records,” Brauer said in the press release. ”It just feels like I went for a little sail, and now I’m back.”

Brauer departed A Coruña, Spain Oct. 28 for her global circumnavigation. Setting out eastward, she sailed around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, Australia’s Cape Leeuwin and South America’s Cape Horn. The journey took her over 26,000 nautical miles and 130 days.  

In a tense finish, Brauer reported a small tear in one of her sails in an Instagram video March 4. She had expected to finish March 6 or 7 but “for the next two days or so it's a completely moving target," she said in the video. To complicate matters, March 5, the race website reported she was chased by a windy system it called a “purple fireball.” By March 6, conditions had improved, and she arrived at the finish line around dawn Thursday morning on her aptly named, 2008 OCD Class40 boat, First Light.

Brauer joined an elite club of 200 sailors who completed a solo non-stop circumnavigation by the three great capes, according to race organizer Marco Nannini; Brauer will be the 18th woman to be included in the solo (non-stop) circumnavigators register, maintained by the International Association of Cape Horners.  

The race took its toll on many sailors and, March 4, Nannini announced that over half of the starting racers retired. At the time, he wrote Brauer was one of seven still on the water, as winner Philippe Delamare of France finished Feb. 24. She also was the only woman, and youngest athlete, in the race. 

Brauer shared the trials of the trip through social media, and, although it was a solo race, she finished with over 450,000 fans and friends on Instagram. She shared highlights such as beautiful days at sea and enduring a storm with almost 10-foot waves and winds up to 36 knots (41 miles per hour). She also showed the realistic side of sailing with posts about planning, physical training, managing equipment and irritations with repairing the ship. 

However, she didn't shy away from the human side of solo sailing. She was open about her experience, from feelings of frustration and exhaustion to the joys of opening a present on Christmas Eve, dancing for New Year’s or doing her nails. Her down-to-earth approach was the subject of a New York Times article about subverting sailing stereotypes around wealth and gender. 

“I hope to show that this very male-dominated sport and community CAN become more open and less ‘traditional,’” Brauer said in her profile on the Global Solo Challenge website. She said she will fight against what she describes as harassment and unequal treatment of women sailors.  

In a post, Nannini said Brauer embraces her feminine self and embodies many of the goals of the Global Solo Challenge. He said her sailing skills were not even the most important thing to discuss. “Why would I need to explain to you how well she’s doing considering she’s holding 2nd place?” he wrote.  

Instead, he applauded her mental fortitude, charming personality and knack for communication, which he said will uplift both her career and the sport of sailing. He said the merit is hers, but the organization is glad to have been part of the journey. “We are ecstatic that we could offer a stage for her ambitions, even as a first edition of an event, Cole made the most of it and owned it and even gave so much to the event by bringing additional visibility. We feel more like we prepared the kindling but that ultimately she lit her own fire.” 

Follow Brauer on Instagram @colebraueroceanracing and review her race progress at https://globalsolochallenge.com/