Two elders taking on the world

 Who's dominating the news and the sea out there, way out there? A couple of oldies - oops, Senior Citizens - that’s who, sailing alone (on individual yachts, that is) around the world.

You may have stood up to let some 70-year-old have a seat on public transport today, but out in the wide open spaces, or the biggest, widest open space, the oceans, Jeanne Socrates, 76, is encouraging her yacht towards the ocean off South Africa. 

Sailing star

And much closer to Europe, 73-year French sailing star, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, is battling a heavy Bay of Biscay gale as he closes the coast near the end of that strange old-fashioned ocean race, the Golden Globe.

 Jean-Luc - a many-times circumnavigator - has sailed round the world in the race and is very close to the finish line.

Jeanne’s race is only against chance, Lady Luck, as she endeavours to win the twin awards of oldest woman to sail solo nonstop unassisted around the world and the first of her gender to sail solo nonstop unassisted around the world from North America.

 Jean-Luc is almost home, give or take the severe conditions at sea at the moment, and Jeanne has a long, long way still to go if she is to achieve her goal.

Continues on the blogs for my ocean adventuring book, Sailing to Purgatory, at SailingToPurgatory.com