First Light
Sailing Solo but Not Alone
$47.01
- Hardcover
240 pages
- Release Date
15 September 2026
Summary
A thrilling memoir from the first American woman to race a sailboat solo, nonstop around the world.
“A must-read for every young woman with a dream.” — BILLIE JEAN KING
“Brauer’s strength and resilience inspire us to challenge ourselves to venture out of our safe harbor and experience the high seas of life.” — CHRISTIE BRINKLEY
In 2024, Cole Brauer became the first American woman to race solo around the world, in a forty-foot sailboat named First Light. For 13…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780593603567 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0593603567 |
| Author: | Cole Brauer |
| Publisher: | Random House USA Inc |
| Imprint: | Convergent |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 240 |
| Release Date: | 15 September 2026 |
| Weight: | 380g |
| Dimensions: | 25mm x 145mm x 217mm |
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Critics Review
“Cole Brauer’s story is a must-read for every young woman with a dream. It’s an inspirational look at navigating challenges and life-changing adventures.”—Billie Jean King, sports icon and equality champion
“I couldn’t put this book down. Brauer’s strength and resilience inspire us to challenge ourselves to venture out of our safe harbor and experience the high seas of life.”—Christie Brinkley, supermodel, humanitarian, and New York Times bestselling author of Uptown Girl
“I truly hope that every little girl reads this and believes that, in Brauer’s own words, ‘maybe, just maybe, someone will see this crazy story and think they can do it too.’”—Tracy Edwards MBE, skipper of Maiden, the first all-female crew to sail/race around the world
“A powerful portrayal of life at sea that captures both the technical demands and the emotional resilience required to succeed. Brauer’s story is gripping, offering a rare insight into the realities of solo sailing and the determination it takes to push beyond limits.”—Captain Kate McCue, first American woman to serve as captain of a mega-ton cruise ship
“Being an avid ocean enthusiast, I found great inspiration in Brauer’s fearlessness as she navigated her sailboat through the most treacherous oceans in the world. Her story shows young girls and boys that anything is possible with persistence and hard work.”—Kai Lenny, world champion waterman
“Cole Brauer’s journey is as fierce as the seas she crosses.”—Kerry Docherty, author of Selfish
“First Light captures everything that makes offshore sailing compelling. This is about finding confidence in uncertainty, embracing challenge, and discovering what we are truly capable of when pushed beyond our comfort zone.”—Dee Caffari MBE
Cole Brauer
Cole Brauer is a record-breaking American professional sailor who finished second in the grueling 2023–2024 solo race around the world. Brauer and her work have been featured in The New York Times and on Today and CNN. A University of Hawai‘i graduate, she is a sought-after speaker for companies and organizations ranging from PJT to Kaiser Permanente, known for her candid storytelling and a philosophy of unvarnished grit. When she isn’t sharing her story on land, she is back on the water as a co-skipper for an IMOCA 60 team.
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