First Light: Sailing Solo but Not Alone

A thrilling memoir from the first American woman to race a sailboat solo, nonstop around the world.

In 2024, Cole Brauer became the first American woman to race solo around the world, in a forty-foot sailboat named First Light. For 130 days, she navigated mechanical breakdowns, debilitating food poisoning, and the Southern Ocean’s extreme cold. Yet, amid the isolation, she found breathtaking sunrises, impromptu dance parties, and a life-changing sense of peace.

First Light recounts the intima...