Londoner Jeanne Socrates (68) has become the oldest woman ever to complete a solo non-stop circumnavigation, after ‘closing the circle’ in her Najad 380 Nereida on 6 May, just south-west of Cape Town.

Expecting to finally make landfall at any moment now, the record-breaker intends to celebrate in style at the Royal Cape Yacht Club later today, but still found time to tell us by email: ‘I used to enjoy reading PBO every month when in UK!’

Jeanne’s eastward voyage originally started on 10 October 2009 from Lanzarote, but technical difficulties forced a halt at Cape Town. She restarted the challenge there last October and sailed non-stop for the next seven months.

Five years ago she completed a previous round-the-world sail but this voyage is the one that puts her into the record books.

Jeanne’s blog can be read on www.svnereida.com.