Jeanne Socrates Oldest Person solo RTW attempt

[coastalexplorer]

All this interest and some concern for Jennie...Does this epitomise ultimate armchair sailing in the middle of winter for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere? How exciting to follow the track of our heroine and we are not even getting tired, hungry, cold and wet!

As for the many differing opinions of boat owners and sailors. Some of us might think this is obsessive madness because we would not do it alone, While others might not do it at all even with a crew. differing opinions I see can extend to other areas too...My father told me Never to discuss politics or religion as they are the two subjects most likely to alienate people.

However for some in the midst of a very bad storm there can be that thought of hoping some thing or some one is watching over us even if we have not been to church for a while or at all. Thus while I can not speak for the Guinness book of records. The company is owned by the son of Mr, Jimmy Pattison who is generally recognised as the richest man in the Province of British Columbia and an evangelical christian philanthropist. So He and other members of his family just might hold the opinion that god watches over every one?

Strangely enough on my travels around the local marine community in my search for services and supplies I find that almost everyone recalls doing something for Jennie at some point within the past ten years. So obviously Victoria is a home port that she likes. it looks like she has broken out of the weather trap. Bon Voyage.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Paul Elliott

I am curious about Jeanne's course. She's heading SW, and I don't know why. Given the shape of the Pacific High now, and the band of still air that will be stretching east/west, I would expect her to be going south, or perhaps even SSE to avoid getting trapped in the dead zone. When we sail to Hawaii (for example), one of the critical decisions is where to turn west to avoid the center of the Pacific High, and I think by turning to the west now she is heading into a trap. I would be sailing south at least until I reached the latitude of Cape Mendocino, and *then* make my move (which would probably be to continue south, if I were heading for the Horn).

I too noticed that oddity. Has this found an explanation by now?

I was comparing that curve to existing conditions and could not find the why.

I still wonder what it was.

b.

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by coastalexplorer

All this interest and some concern for Jennie...Does this epitomise ultimate armchair sailing in the middle of winter for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere? How exciting to follow the track of our heroine and we are not even getting tired, hungry, cold and wet!

Whenever I have the chance to follow the voyage of someone I know (even know very casually), I get this strong "mother hen" feeling. This attitude probably comes from my experience as Pacific Cup (San Francisco to Hawaii race) communications boat through five races. While we were racing, we also communicated with the rest of the race fleet via SSB, satphone, and email, and reported their positions and condition back to race HQ. Whenever a boat had problems we were one of the first to hear about it. We would give and pass along advice, and on a few occasions help coordinate or even deliver at-sea assistance. I came to feel very involved with, and a little responsible for, each of the boats in the fleet.

My total interaction with Jeanne has been limited to spending a few minutes on the dock talking with her after she completed her last circumnavigation. I doubt if she remembers me, but I sure remember her!

The current conditions look pretty good. There is another high-pressure ridge that will develop Friday to the southwest of Pt Conception, but it looks like Jeanne will be able to outrun that. If not, she gets trapped by light air and won't be able to break through -- instead she will be sailing slowly as the ridge moves south. Perhaps this won't be too bad, since the ridge still has some usable wind in it.

As much as I like to use the GRIB-based WX websites, I still take a look at the human-generated-and-interpreted information. This is a great collection, at least for the next couple of weeks: Ocean Prediction Center - Pacific

[Paul Elliott]

(About Jeanne's unexpected turn to the SW two days ago)

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I too noticed that oddity. Has this found an explanation by now?

I was comparing that curve to existing conditions and could not find the why.

I still wonder what it was.

b.

I still don't know. But I have certainly found myself in winds very different than the (quite recent) GRIBs claimed I should be in. This is usually a matter of position or time during a change in conditions, and there have been lots of condition changes lately. So my guess is that things weren't exactly as we were led to believe by the GRIBs.

[zeehag]

ok so she did get going. good. i hope her adventure is uneventful and successful.

[Paul Elliott]

Nereida Update - Nov 24 AM
Jeanne has been making decent course and speed since she got south of those Pacific Northwest low-pressure systems, and she is now about 260 miles west of Point Conception.
Unfortunately, a high-pressure ridge has now caught up with her and she is temporarily trapped in a low-wind zone. That ridge should move south by midnight and give her good sailing winds again.
Jeanne is fighting with rigging, generator and satphone problems, but I think she can repair or work around them -- normal stuff for passagemaking. Her blog has more info on this.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Paul Elliott

Nereida Update - Nov 24 AM
Jeanne has been making decent course and speed since she got south of those Pacific Northwest low-pressure systems, and she is now about 260 miles west of Point Conception.
Unfortunately, a high-pressure ridge has now caught up with her and she is temporarily trapped in a low-wind zone. That ridge should move south by midnight and give her good sailing winds again.
Jeanne is fighting with rigging, generator and satphone problems, but I think she can repair or work around them -- normal stuff for passagemaking. Her blog has more info on this.

Judging from her blog, except for the swell running there, she could probably use a break for a while. Wish she'd hang a left and reach over to our neck of the woods, I'd like to meet her! But we are a little out of the way for sure and she has miles to go...

[Paul Elliott]

Jeanne is heading in to San Diego for repairs/ From her blog:

Going to be a rough ride to San Diego - 300mls off - with gale force winds forecast for Monday... which is what we already just had now in a big squall!

Why San Diego? I've had to make the painful decision to head in there for repairs needed to the boom connection and genset, among other, more minor, items. Not a comfortable thought while heading towards the Southern Ocean that the genset would probably be out of action for the next 7-8 months (an epoxy repair would almost certainly not last long, always assuming it could be done and would work at all), giving an ongoing battery power issue with not enough fuel (main engine takes more diesel and is less efficient at frequent topping up of wind and solar power inputs), and the boom connecion can only get worse with more rough use and is already badly worn.... Not something I can repair- it needs proper attention.

Feeling very disheartened and sad.... So many people have been so supportive and helpful in so many ways, for which I have been deeply appreciative... Thanks to you all!

I hope she can get the repairs done ASAP and re-start from San Diego.

[JPA Cate]

Does someone know how to find out all the parameters Guiness has for her record attempt?

I am wondering whether she can re-start from SD, if she finishes up there by way of the PNW? or if the latitude requirement mentioned above by CF member "oregonian" has to be met at the outset?

Ann

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Does someone know how to find out all the parameters Guiness has for her record attempt?

I am wondering whether she can re-start from SD, if she finishes up there by way of the PNW? or if the latitude requirement mentioned above by CF member "oregonian" has to be met at the outset?

Ann

What is her record attempt? Her site does not talk about any record.

Home - S/V Nereida Jeanne Socrates

It is a geriatic record? the Oldest women to have done a circumnavigation?
Guiness takes care of silly records and will certainly regist that one but sailing records are recorded by World Sailing Speed Record Council that is the authorized body by the International Sailing Federation.

Regarding a valid circumnavigation for a record attempt they demand: " for around the world sailing records, there is a rule saying that the length must be at least 21,600 nmi calculated along the shortest possible track from the starting port and back that does not cross land and does not go below 63°S. The great-circle distance formulas are to be used, assuming that the great circle length is 21,600 nmi. It is allowed to have one single waypoint to lengthen the calculated track. The equator must be crossed.[2] In reality, this means that the boat should pass a waypoint at or not far from the antipode of the starting port of the journey (the exact position depends on how short the shortest possible track is)."

"Note that we have a policy of not ratifying "youngest/oldest etc" claims or attempts and our rules do not include such categories. We concentrate on speed record attempts and claims, and no longer recognise "human condition" categories which can expand to such an extent that almost anyone would be able to claim a record of some sort. "
https://www.sailspeedrecords.com/

Jeanne Socrates holds not any record recognized by the WSSRC and is not attempting to beat any.

WSSRC recognizes records based on gender and recognizes women records. Regarding the Eastbound circumnavigations the record belongs to Ellen Mac Arthur on monohull 94d 4h 25m 40s and in multihull 71d 14h 18m 33s. The Westbound to Dee Caffari in 178d 3h 5m 34s.

Not a record but Dee Caffari was also the only women to have circumnavigated solo and without assistance by the two different directions.

I find great Jeanne Socrates at over 70 to be doing a solo circumnavigation, being it with assistance or without assistance, non stop or stopping where she would want to stop but that story about records for the guinness does not make sense, they record all kinds of silly records. The Guiness has nothing to do with (serious) sail records, WSSRC does.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Does someone know how to find out all the parameters Guiness has for her record attempt?

I am wondering whether she can re-start from SD, if she finishes up there by way of the PNW? or if the latitude requirement mentioned above by CF member "oregonian" has to be met at the outset?

Ann

What is her record attempt? Her site does not talk about any record.

Home - S/V Nereida Jeanne Socrates

It is a geriatic record? the Oldest women to have done a circumnavigation?
Guiness takes care of silly records and will certainly regist that one but sailing records are recorded by World Sailing Speed Record Council that is the authorized body by the International Sailing Federation.

Regarding a valid circumnavigation for a record attempt they demand: " for around the world sailing records, there is a rule saying that the length must be at least 21,600 nmi calculated along the shortest possible track from the starting port and back that does not cross land and does not go below 63°S. The great-circle distance formulas are to be used, assuming that the great circle length is 21,600 nmi. It is allowed to have one single waypoint to lengthen the calculated track. The equator must be crossed.[2] In reality, this means that the boat should pass a waypoint at or not far from the antipode of the starting port of the journey (the exact position depends on how short the shortest possible track is)."

"Note that we have a policy of not ratifying "youngest/oldest etc" claims or attempts and our rules do not include such categories. We concentrate on speed record attempts and claims, and no longer recognise "human condition" categories which can expand to such an extent that almost anyone would be able to claim a record of some sort. "
https://www.sailspeedrecords.com/

Jeanne Socrates holds not any record recognized by the WSSRC and is not attempting to beat any.

WSSRC recognizes records based on gender and recognizes women records. Regarding the Eastbound circumnavigations the record belongs to Ellen Mac Arthur on monohull 94d 4h 25m 40s and in multihull 71d 14h 18m 33s. The Westbound to Dee Caffari in 178d 3h 5m 34s.

Not a record but Dee Caffari was also the only women to have circumnavigated solo and without assistance by the two different directions.

I find great Jeanne Socrates at over 70 to be doing a solo circumnavigation, being it with assistance or without assistance, non stop or stopping where she would want to stop but that story about records for the guinness does not make sense, they record all kinds of silly records. The Guinness has nothing to do with (serious) sail records, WSSRC does.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Polux, thanks for your answer.

"Oregonian" posted earlier in the thread that Jeanne is doing this for a Guiness record--I do not know if that is or isn't correct. He wrote that she had to start from above a certain latitude, and that Victoria qualified, but San Francisco was too far south. He has not posted again since then.

My basic question is what affect her stopping for repairs in San Diego will have on her record attempt, if in fact there is a record attempt, I did "get it" that you don't think much of the Guinness World records, and that the WSSRC does not grant records for factors like age.

Ann who is still wondering what will happen with this voyage after SD.....

[barnakiel]

Yep.

I too believe I found something on her website about doing it for a record.

I did not know the Guinness Book had their own criteria.

WSSC has criteria but they apparently stopped noting oldest/youngest/silliest style of sailing records and I must say I can applaud them for the move.

b.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Yep.

I too believe I found something on her website about doing it for a record.

..

Maybe you can point me to it?

I looked at the site and blog and could not find anything about her being attempting to beat a record, just this:

"Jeanne prepares to attempt another circumnavigation, starting October 2016...
I expect to be at sea for around 7-8 months, hoping to get safely around the Five Great Capes of the Southern Ocean and back to my starting point without any outside help and without using my motor (which will be sealed)."

Regarding a Guinness record the only reference I can find is this:
"Jeanne Socrates, aboard S/V Nereida, successfully completed a nonstop, single-handed, unassisted sail around the world at 2:26 a.m. on Monday 8th July 2013, when she passed Ogden Point at the entrance to Victoria Harbour, 259 days after leaving Victoria in October 2012.

She became the first woman to sail solo nonstop around the world from North America and the oldest woman to sail solo nonstop around the world (a record noted in the Guinness Book of Records)"

The record here is a geriatric one, the oldest to have circumnavigated since the story about being the first from North america makes no sense in what regards a circumnavigation record.

A circumnavigation is a circumnavigation that has to be made according to the WSSRC rules and point of departure is irrelevant, otherwise we would have the first or the fastest to circumnavigate solo and without from Central America, From south America, from The North of Europe, From the South of Europe, from The Middle East, From The North Of Africa, from Africa Central, From south Africa and I did not even reached Asia, Australia, Antarctica and so on.

She has already that one, I mean the oldest women to have circumnavigated solo without outside help and even if some consider not valid and silly geriatric records, the only thing she can do is to beat her own geriatric record, that I don't see in jeopardy since I don't believe any other septuagenarian ot octogenaire will have a go at it.

Regarding this type of records, they will be recorded on the guinness, they take appointment of all kind of records, but in what regards a sporting event it is not only WSSRC (by appointment of International sailing federation) that does not consider those records. Other records, for instance athletics records, car speed records and many others do not considered them based on old age. For that kind of records we can count always with the guinness.

It is great what Jeanne is doing with over 70, but It does not seem to me that she is attempting to break any record. After all when someone is attempting to break a record the first thing one does is to state very clearly what record one is attempting to break and I cannot see that announced, clearly or not, on Jeanne Socrates site.

[kmacdonald]

Yes, she is attempting to break another record. Sorry you missed it.