Cole, you've been back on land for a day now. Do you miss the ocean already?
Cole Brauer: Of course! The ocean had been a part of my life for a long time before I started this race. So taking part was nothing out of the ordinary for me, it was part of my everyday life: waking up in the morning and going to work. Every day of the month, always with a sea view and the sounds of the boat and the ocean. My current hotel room is strange in comparison. I also need to develop a new daily routine again. My first look in the morning is no longer into the sails, but into the mirror.
What was your favourite moment?
Every new day was the best. But the absolute greatest was the encounter with a large whale in the Southern Ocean in six metre high waves and 40 knots of wind. The animal surfaced against the light and the spray flew over the deck. It was majestic, intense and scary at the same time. Not something you see when you're walking along the road.
How many days were you equipped with food and water?
For a total of 160 days, so I could easily have managed another month. However, my chocolate supplies clearly melted too soon, which is why I had to ration them. Funnily enough, I hardly ever eat sweets on land. At sea, however, I craved them and savoured every last crumb. I have to admit that I even licked the wrappers. Next time I'll definitely take a lot more chocolate with me!
Did you really watch Netflix during the race?
From time to time I just loved it! When the batteries got low, I downloaded a few films and switched off Starlink to save energy. And when it was really stressful, like in the Southern Ocean where it was blowing at 60 knots, I put on my big headphones. They also filter out the thunderous background noise, which had a very positive effect on my stress levels. With the other guys without headphones, my anxiety levels sometimes went through the roof. I simply found other ways to alleviate my anxiety. And Netflix was one of them.
You already had plenty of experience with the Class 40 before the Global Solo Challenge. How did you become skipper of the "Dragon"?
Oh, that's an almost unbelievable story. I had prepared for the mini-transat and was staying on a mini in Charleston, South Carolina. One night, the Dragon docked right next to me. I remember waking up in the morning and looking at the Class 40, which seemed huge to me, and vowing to work on this cool boat one day. Six months later, I found myself on that very same boat for a transfer from Canada to Maine. The skipper quit during the crossing and jokingly asked me if I wanted his job. And how I wanted it! So I actually got the job.
And how did the mini-transat turn out for you?
Unfortunately, it started without me. My sponsors at the time suddenly dropped me. They only saw the little girl weighing less than 50 kilograms and were afraid that I would kill myself on the Atlantic. They didn't want to take the risk.
How did you end up with your current Class 40 "First Light"?
"First Light" and "Dragon" are one and the same boat. It just changed hands and got a new foil. The new owners offered me the chance to sail it in regattas in Florida. I later sailed the Bermuda 1-2 Race with another woman, which we were the first women's team ever to win. The owners were so enthusiastic that they offered to sponsor an offshore regatta of my choice. As the boat was no longer the youngest, I reckoned I had the best chance of a podium place in the Global Solo Challenge.
You were also deemed too small for the Ocean Race at the trials and sent home again. How did you cope with that?
This bitter disappointment runs so deep that it gnaws at me to this day. I will probably never get over it, but it makes me tougher and more resilient. Once, while the Southern Ocean was relentlessly pounding the boat and me, I thought about the people involved and imagined their faces. Then I suddenly felt like Wonder Woman, ready to take on the whole world.
How did the rounding of Cape Horn feel for you?
Passing the Hoorn was unique. I had been dreaming about it for ages, but couldn't see it because the conditions were too bad to sail inside the continental shelf. But it really is the case that everything goes up from there. As soon as I rounded the corner, my whole body relaxed. I had survived the Southern Ocean and the swell suddenly dropped so much that I could see the horizon again. What a wonderful feeling!
In one of your many videos, you dance in the cockpit in a pink dress and high heels in your hand. A touch of madness?
Originally it was supposed to be even crazier! I also wanted to put on my pumps and dance on the bow. But the swell was so heavy that I would have broken my knuckles. It was also so bitterly cold that I almost froze my bum off. But what was even worse was that I hadn't shaved my armpits and therefore had to keep my arms down as much as possible. But it was fun!
Another video shows you being brutally thrown through the boat. How did that happen?
I had just turned into the Southern Ocean and was downloading weather data when an unexpected wave hit me on the port side. Between Brazil and the Cape of Good Hope there is a terrible current that runs against the wind, causing big waves and heavy cross seas. I bruised my ribs badly when I fell.
Not a good start for the notoriously stormy Southern Ocean. How long did it take you to fully recover?
Almost exactly one month. The pain was so bad at first that I could hardly get out of my bunk or bend over. You could also see that in my videos. I'm actually a cheerful person, but by my standards I was a bit snivelling.
And then the autopilot gave up the ghost ...
Yes, exactly two days later! So I had to steer by hand and crawl into the narrow aft peak, where I had to work on the completely corroded screws of the autopilot hydraulics with a hammer and spanner in order to be able to replace them. Luckily I'm so small, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do it. The whole thing happened twice in the same week. That was hell!
Did you ever think about simply giving up?
No, and I also got angry every time someone even hinted at this option. Funnily enough, my mum was the only one who explicitly asked me not to give up.
Did your parents support your decision to become a professional sailor?
At first they were very sceptical and only had images in their heads of me drinking alcohol from cups. But I was supposed to be studying to become a doctor! They were really scared that I was throwing my life away carelessly.
Do you need a kind of digital detox, i.e. a break from social media, after 130 days of constant exposure?
No, I am part of the digital and media age. That's why communicating via social networks has never been a burden for me. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to present myself so freely and openly to the public. I like to post my thoughts and feelings and am also happy to reply to comments. It's part of my everyday life.
You ended every video with the Shaka salute. What's it all about?
I studied in Hawaii and also started sailing there. Hawaiian courses are compulsory in order to obtain a degree at university. This is an attempt to keep the local culture alive. There are different variations of the traditional Shaka greeting. When I show the heel of my hand, it means that I am giving something of myself to my audience.
