Socrates Leaves Cape Town

That intrepid British solo circumnavigator Jeanne Socrates sure gets around. After a knockdown at Cape Horn ended her plans for a nonstop solo circumnavigation last January, Socrates wound up spending 13 months in South Africa effecting repairs to her Najad 380 Nereida and having all sorts of adventures — from having juice with Laura Dekker to tea with the Queen of England. But all good things must end, and yesterday Socrates sailed Nereida out of Cape Town bound for Hobart, Tasmania.

The 69-year-old grandmother plans to make her way back to Victoria, British Columbia over the next several months. In October, she’ll once again set out on a planned nonstop circumnavigation attempt — her third. If she makes it around this time without stopping, she’ll become the oldest woman to complete the feat — unofficially, of course, as record-keeping institutions don’t recognize aged-based sailing records.

To keep tabs on Socrates, check out her website. She’ll once again be raising funds for a cause close to her heart, Marie Curie Cancer Care.