After being thwarted last year, British yachtswoman, Jeanne Socrates, has suffered further disappointment after falling from a ladder just days before a new record attempt
British yachtswoman, Jeanne Socrates, has again abandoned her attempt to become the oldest person to sail around the world solo, unassisted and non-stop.
The 75-year-old fell from a ladder just days before her planned departure date on Thursday (5 October).
She is currently recovering in hospital having undergone surgery to repair eight broken ribs. She has also fractured a vertebrae, broken her nose and has a badly damaged right elbow.
The Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) is reporting that she was taking on final stores when the accident happened.
Her Najad 380, Nereida, had been on the hard for anti-fouling and inspection.
A post on Jeanne Socrates’ official blog said: “she is sore and in pain although limbs and nerves are all intact”.
“She took a fall from the top of a ladder while coming down off her boat in the boatyard She is currently in hospital while she begins to recover from her injuries. She will provide more details as soon as she is up to it. Please keep her in your thoughts,” added the post.
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Jeanne Socrates has tried many times to break the record for the oldest person to sail around the world solo, unassisted and non-stop.
The current record was set by Japanese sailor, Minoru Saito, who was 71 when he completed a non-World Speed Sailing Record Council-sanctioned non-stop solo circumnavigation of the world in his 50-foot yacht, Shuten-doji II, on 6 June 2005.
She previously tried to break the record in October 2016, but a severe storm caused damage to her 38-foot yacht, and forced her to return to port.
She started out again in November, only to be forced to abandon the voyage in San Diego due to genset repairs and a damaged gooseneck.
At the time, Jeanne Socrates described the move as “a painful but an unavoidable decision”.
By the time those repairs were completed, it was too late in the season to start again.
Since then, the former Lymington and London resident has been making sure Nereida is in good shape, ahead of her latest attempt.
On 8 July 2013, Jeanne Socrates claimed the record for the oldest woman to sail single-handedly around the world – solo, non-stop and unassisted.
She was 70 years and 325 days old.
The voyage took her 258 days, 14 hours, 16 minutes and 36 seconds.