The British grandmother who left Victoria in October in a bid to be the oldest woman to sail solo, unassisted and non-stop around the world passed the Cape of Good Hope this week.

Jeanne Socrates and her sailboat, Nereida, are about 600 miles south of South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope and headed east, she said in an email.

Socrates rounded South America in early January and is now sailing toward Australia’s Cape Leeuwin, south of Perth.

Equipment failure has Socrates sailing without information on wind speed. She has repaired issues with the electronic compass and autopilot.

“Work on wiring problems is virtually impossible when the boat is banging about and heeled over in big seas,” Socrates said.

The voyage marks the 70-year-old’s third attempt at a solo, non-stop and unassisted circumnavigation. Her earlier attempts were ended when she had to stop to repair damage to the boat.

Socrates's journey can be followed at svnereida.com.

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