Cole Brauer

After graduating, Brauer moved to Boothbay, Maine, where she currently lives.^[2][3][5] There, she began teaching at Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club, and working as a sailor to deliver boats on the Atlantic Coast.^[3]

In 2018, Brauer earned her 100Ton Captain's License.^[3]

In June 2023, Brauer and her co-skipper, Cat Chimney, won both legs of the 668-nautical mile Bermuda One-Two race from Rhode Island to Bermuda and back, the first women to do so since the race's inception.^[3][4][6]

She finished 2nd in the 2023–2024 Global Solo Challenge on March 7, 2024, sailing a Class40 boat named First Light, making her the first woman from the United States to sail single-handed around the world nonstop and unassisted, and also setting a new around-the-world speed record for the class.^[2][7][8] She had started the race on October 29, 2023, and was the only woman and the youngest among the 16 competitors. During the 130 days on her boat, she injured a rib, suffered dehydration, and gave herself IV fluids.^[1][5] She was able to connect to the Internet via Starlink satellites, and established an influential social media presence, introducing a new audience to the sport.^[9][10]

She also trains in Newport, Rhode Island in the summer.^[11]

Brauer received Mystic Seaport Museum’s America and the Sea Award for 2024.^[12] She also received US Sailing's 2024 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award.^[13]