Maine sailor now 1st American woman to race solo around world

(WJAR) — A sailor is set to become the first American woman to sail solo around the world.

Cole Brauer of Boothbay, Maine, set sail more than four months ago for the Global Solo Challenge. The Global Solo Challenge is a solo sail around the world, spanning nearly 30,000 miles.

Brauer launched from Newport, Rhode Island, where she spends a lot of time in the spring and summer, and is expected to arrive in Spain late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

As of 5:30 a.m., an online tracker showed Brauer was less than 200 nautical miles from the finish line and is slated to finish in second place.

She’s the only woman competing and the youngest in the competition at 29-years-old.

NBC 10 talked to Brauer before she set sail in October about how she was feeling heading into the male-dominated competition.

"I don't really know what it feels like to be any different. It's just, I got this opportunity and I'm running with it as long as I can," said Brauer.

Brauer is also aiming to set a world record for her type of boat by completing the race in under 137 days. She’s on target to accomplish that.

You can track Brauer's journey on the high seas, click here.