Cole Brauer (29) of Barters Island, Boothbay won the Bermuda One-Two© Yacht Race, 24th Biennial Series (first race in 1977) completing the 668 nm race between Newport, Rhode Island and Bermuda as the first woman skipper to ever win not just the first solo leg but also the doublehanded leg back to Newport. Cole completed the single handed 1st leg in 3 days 4 hours 55 mins (18 hours ahead of the 2nd place finisher) and the two handed 2nd leg with mate Cat Chimney in 3 days 1 hour 30 mins (12 hours ahead of the second place competitor)

Cole graduated from East Hampton High School on Long Island, New York. She took up sailing at the University of Hawaii. After graduating with a degree in nutritional science, Cole moved to Maine where she taught sailing at the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club before breaking into the male dominated sailing community by delivering boats up and down the Atlantic Coast for someone else to race. With grit and perseverance she earned her 100Ton Captains License in 2018.

The Bermuda One Two is one of the most prestigious races in the sailing community. The race crosses the gulf stream. Wind and no wind, waves as big as houses, lightening, thunder, rain, describes the conditions on both legs. On the 1st leg one racer broke his rib when a piece of his boat broke away and pummeled him and another broke his ankle.

Cole spent weeks with her shore crew planning the best course for First Light her Class 40 sailing vessel.

Quoting Cole: “Thank you @sea_tactics for the weather prep! It seemed to have really paid off. Chelsea and I discussed beforehand what our plan was while the weather was changing rapidly. It seemed almost a gamble however, the Euro model had been quite reliable for over the last four weeks and therefore, we decided that this model would be our main focus for the trips planning. It was also the most risky of the models taking me pretty far west, and staying west, Adding a total of 90 extra miles to the trip I spent the majority of the race down loading weather, looking outside at the clouds, and watching my angles on the instruments. Realizing quickly the Euro model was matching up with my observations almost exactly I took the gamble and ran hard west, and it paid off.  Scary though. Continuing to gybe my way back into the front since I would wake up to flogging sails as First Light would run right out of the front and I would gybe her back into the 30 kn of breeze pushing myself even further west.

“By the third day, I was convinced I had lost the race, but I kept pushing. Maybe I could win? I downloaded more weather showing a dead zone just to the east of where I was headed. I made more moves to skirt it to the west. Eventually ending up pointing west of Bermuda… However, as I got closer I was gradually lifted! And found myself pulled right into Saint George’s without having to do a sail change, which after the hundred or so sail changes I had done over the three days four hours and 55 minutes I felt I had earned my stripes and given a little break just for the finish. I crossed the finish line to realize that I had won line honors, which to be honest was really all I wanted.”

Cole took home seven trophies: Overall PHRF, Both Legs; Class One Both Legs; Leg 1 Sportsmanship; PHRF Both Legs; Top Female Solo; Line Honors Both Legs; and Top Navigators Award.

Cole is preparing for her next event; the Transat Jacque Vabre which is a 4800nm race from France to Martinique this October. With this she looks forward to the goal of being the First American Woman to Race Solo Around the World in the Vendee in 2028, a solo unassisted around the world race starting and finishing in France.

Follow Cole’s progress @colebraueroceanracing on instagram. Website bermuda1-2.org