AN INTREPID pensioner from Ealing is currently on the other side of the world in her own boat as she gets ready for a record-breaking bid to circumnavigate the globe later this year.
Jeanne Socrates, 69, set off from Tasmania, across the Tasman Sea to the south west cape of New Zealand this week in her vessel Nereida.
She is already the oldest woman to sail solo round the world, but now hopes to make the journey non-stop and will head out in October.
Speaking to the Gazette via email earlier this week, she said: “I’ve enjoyed being in Tasmania immensely since sailing there from Cape Town. There’s lots of friendly people and a climate somewhat similar to Great Britain.
“I’ve also had lots of jobs to get done in between socialising while here, a mix of repairs and maintenance.”
On Thursday (26), Mrs Socrates was due to begin an epic voyage to San Francisco via Tahiti and Hawaii.
She added: “I might not make landfall anywhere, depending on timing and weather, since I’d like to get to San Francisco by the end of June. The weather is looking a bit threatening in a few days’ time, but with luck I’ll avoid the worst of it.”
Mrs Socrates, a retired maths teacher, has been actively immersed in boating since her husband George died of cancer in 2008.
She has notched up tens of thousands of miles in her 38ft yacht, and last December met the Queen and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace.
You can follow her progress at www.svnereida.com
