yacht 40ft for sale

Used Motor Yachts for Sale from 40 to 50 Feet

Listed below are used motor yachts for sale between 40 to 50 feet. Motor yachts vary greatly in their hull design, interior accommodations, engine packages, and performance capabilities. They often feature multiple staterooms for owners and guests as well as bathrooms, showers, full galleys and a wide range of other amenities to make life on board very comfortable and luxurious. SYS Yacht Sales offers new and used motor yachts for sale worldwide, including a range of Flybrige yachts, Aft Cabin Yachts, Pilothouse Yachts, Convertibles, Trawlers, Sportfish, Express Cruisers, Sport Cruisers and much more. Don't see the vessel you're looking for here? Contact our experienced yacht brokers for assistance, we look forward to helping you find the yacht that's right for you.

Maritimo A50 Aegean Enclosed

Hi-Tech Motor Yacht

Azimut 50 Flybridge

Pershing 50

Monte Carlo Flybridge

Absolute 50 Fly

Maritimo X50

Sea Ray 500 Sundancer

Ocean Alexander 50 Mark II

Palm Beach Motor Yachts GT 50

Prestige 500 Flybridge

Dealer trade.

Custom Artisanal Power Catamaran

Marquis 500 Sport Yacht

Mai Navigare

Galeon 500 Fly

Alden Motor Yacht

Chris-Craft 500 Constellation

Custom Trawler Biloxi Lugger

Fairline 50

Prestige 500

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• Ocean Yachts Ocean Yachts 40

Ocean Yachts Ocean Yachts 40 Boats for sale

1979 Ocean Yachts 40+2 Flying Bridge Trawler

Indiantown, Florida

Make Ocean Yachts

Model 40+2 Flying Bridge Trawler

Category Trawlers

Posted 2 Days Ago

Stock #395924 Twin Cat 3208 diesels, 2 cabins, 2 air conditioners, ready for the Loop! If you are in the market for a trawler, look no further than this 1979 Ocean 40+2 Flying Bridge Trawler, priced right at $35,000 (offers encouraged). This vessel is located in Indiantown, Florida and is in good condition. She is also equipped with twin Caterpillar engines. Reason for selling is not using anymore.

1984 Ocean Yachts 46 Super Sport

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Model 46 Super Sport

Category Sportfish/Convertibles

Posted 2 Weeks Ago

The owner has spared no expense in maintaining this vessel. The 2 A/C units were replaced this summer. In Spring 2022, she had new bottom paint put on as well as 2 new turbos on both engines. The port engine was rebuilt last winter, documentation is available for review while under contract. Port engine has 40 hours and starboard has 2100. Stock #310274 Formidable 46 Super Sport, Newer A/C units, Port engine rebuilt last year Whether you are just out cruising around or heading out for big game fish aboard an Ocean Yacht 46 Super Sport, comfort is always a priority. The original Super Sport was designed with 3 berths and 2 full heads, but on this vessel, the starboard berth is converted to a tackle and gear room. As you head aft you come to the galley which is fully equipped with a stove/oven, deep sink, microwave, and a refrigerator. The salon has 2 big screen TVs with one wired to the GPS. The stereo system has Mirage speakers and an L-shaped sofa. There is also a recently-installed freezer for bait. The cockpit has 2 updated captain's chairs. The radar unit is a Furuno, and she has a Garmin 7212 chart plotter. She is powered with twin 6V-71 TIs and the generator is a Northern Lights 8KW. Feel free to contact me anytime to schedule a showing aboard Ocean 46. Reason for selling is doesn't have time to use due to business.

1997 Ocean Yachts 40 Convertible

St Augustine, Florida

Model 40 Convertible

Category Fishing Boats

Posted Over 1 Month

1997 Ocean Yachts 40 Convertible 1997 Ocean Yachts 40 Super Sport Offering a beautiful 1997 40` Ocean Super Sport.  The boat has had only 2 owners with very light use. The boat has great Cat 3126 motors with only 1800 hrs!!  A combination of features, performance, quality and luxury makes this Ocean Super Sport a great offshore fishing boat or family boat.  The boat offers a master stateroom with queen bed, and forward quarters with two bunks, and a pull out couch in the main salon.  Beautiful L shaped couch offers comfort and great views of TV/ entertainment system.  There is a kitchen area with new microwave, two burner cook top, refrigerator, ice maker, and plenty of storage.  The raised dinette offers great eating space, truly offers something for the whole family.  Upgrades include recently convert head to freshwater system (rare on 40 SS), cockpit lights, new foward AC unit, all motor service completed for 2000 hour Cat Service, and many more upgrades.   This is a must see! Turn Key Vessel.   Will Consider Trade for Triple Center Console!!!   Call for more details. Owner:  410-925-3671

1999 Ocean Yachts 40 Express

Sebastian, Florida

Model 40 Express

Category Saltwater Fishing Boats

1999 Ocean Yachts 40 Express "Sir Reel" is a great example of the very popular 40' Ocean Express. Maintained extremely well by her owner, boat shines. May be the best offering and value in the 40 Ocean Market. Reliable CAT 3126TA's. Full Tuna Tower, Freezer Plate in Fisbox, Cockpit Freezer. Great Electronics (Furuno NavNet). New Enclsoure,New Icemaker in Salon. A Must see. Owner looking for next boat, bring offers

1990 Ocean 48 Motor Yacht

Mystic, Connecticut

Model 48 Motor Yacht

Category Motor Yachts

1990 Ocean 48 Motor Yacht Clean, professionally maintained with over $40K in recent upgrades including: Electronics, Fiberglass Salon Windows, Carpeting, Furniture, Batteries & Chargers, New Holding Tank & Hoses, etc... Standout features include: Niad Stabilizers, Dinghy Hoist, Upper deck conversion to outside living space with removeable tender cradle, lifeliness, carpet & wicker furniture. 12' Avon w/ 25 HP Yamaha 4-S. Est. 600 hours on Detroit Diesels since overhaul. Plus all the expected equip including Generator, Air Conditioning, W & D. Dishwasher, Full Canvas Helm Enclosure, etc... 2014 Survey available upon request. More pics & video tour coming after spring commissioning.

1999 Ocean Yachts 40SS

Hull, Massachusetts

1999 Ocean Yachts 40SS THE CLEANEST 40 SS ON THE MARKET, STORED INDOORS SINCE NEW! ONLY 565 ORIGINAL HOURS! NEAR PERFECT NON-FISHED 40! If you want a turn key, like-new 40 SS look no further, New Strata-glass 4 sided enclosure, no stress cracks, no chalking, no pitting on the aluminum, Trades considered. Powered by twin Cat 3126TA diesels, new Garmin 4208 GPS, Furuno 1932 radar, Furuno FCV-582 fish finder, (2) Icom M-45 Vhf radios, Glendenning engine synchronizer, air/heat system, Westerbeke 7.6KW generator, Jensen stereo system, (2) TV's, Ultra-leather salon sleeper with L-shaped couch, full bridge enclosure, 50 amp shore power, NEW flat panel salon TV, Don?t miss this one! Brokerage Stock #18479 NOTE: All Brokerage boats are sold "as-is" with no warranty expressed or implied. Any representations of equipment and vessel condition are that of the seller, not Russo Marine or its agents. Additional services are available from our service department. Please contact Jared Simpson for assistance with this boat. Make: Ocean Yachts Model: 40SS Length: 40 Dealer: Russo Marine ID: 216799 Ad provided by BoatingBay

1979 Ocean Yachts 40 Sportfish

St Petersburg, Florida

1979 Ocean Yachts 40 Sportfish 1979 Ocean 40 Sportfish located in St. Petersburg, FL.  Powered with 375hp Detroit Diesel 6-71T's.  Bridge features Garmin 4212GPS/Fishfinder, Horizon VHF, Stereo, speakers. Nice Galley,2 stateroom floorplan. Forward stateroom w/ V-berth.  Master stateroom to port has separate head and shower.  Galley has hardwood floors and features frig, SS sink, electric stove, and microwave. Spacious Salon. Plenty of Rear Cockpit for fishing or cruising. Contact us with any further questions regarding this vessel.

1999 Ocean Yachts 40 SS

Mt Pleasant, South Carolina

1999 Ocean Yachts 40 SS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY!! SUPER CLEAN AND WELL MAINTAINED 40 SUPER SPORT! SHE IS READY TO FISH AND/OR CRUISE. THIS POPULAR 40 SS FEATURES HUGE SALON/ GALLEY AND DINETTE WITH 2 STATEROOMS BELOW AND LARGE HEAD WITH SEPARATE STALL SHOWER. ONE OF THE FEW 40'S WITH COCKPIT ENGINE ROOM ACCESS THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET IN. SHE IS CLEAN, FAST AND WELL MAINTAINED. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT COMBINATION FAMILY/FUN/FISH/CRUISE COMBINATION, THEN LOOK NO FURTHER, THIS IS IT! Make: Ocean Yachts Model: 40 SS Length: 40 Dealer: Charleston Harbor Yacht Sales ID: 214052 Ad provided by BoatingBay

1999 Ocean Yachts 40SS THE CLEANEST 40 SS ON THE MARKET, STORED INDOORS SINCE NEW! ONLY 565 ORIGINAL HOURS! NEAR PERFECT NON-FISHED 40! If you want a turn key, like-new 40 SS look no further, New Strata-glass 4 sided enclosure, no stress cracks, no chalking, no pitting on the aluminum, Trades considered. Powered by twin Cat 3126TA diesels, new Garmin 4208 GPS, Furuno 1932 radar, Furuno FCV-582 fish finder, (2) Icom M-45 Vhf radios, Glendenning engine synchronizer, air/heat system, Westerbeke 7.6KW generator, Jensen stereo system, (2) TV's, Ultra-leather salon sleeper with L-shaped couch, full bridge enclosure, 50 amp shore power, NEW flat panel salon TV, Don?t miss this one! Brokerage Stock #18479 NOTE: All Brokerage boats are sold "as-is" with no warranty expressed or implied. Any representations of equipment and vessel condition are that of the seller, not Russo Marine or its agents. Additional services are available from our service department. Please contact Jared Simpson for assistance with this boat. Make: Ocean Yachts Model: 40SS Length: 40 Dealer: Russo Marine ID: 202407 Ad provided by BoatingBay

1999 Ocean Yachts 40SS THE CLEANEST 40 SS ON THE MARKET, STORED INDOORS SINCE NEW! ONLY 565 ORIGINAL HOURS! NEAR PERFECT NON-FISHED 40! If you want a turn key, like-new 40 SS look no further, New Strata-glass 4 sided enclosure, no stress cracks, no chalking, no pitting on the aluminum, Trades considered. Powered by twin Cat 3126TA diesels, new Garmin 4208 GPS, Furuno 1932 radar, Furuno FCV-582 fish finder, (2) Icom M-45 Vhf radios, Glendenning engine synchronizer, air/heat system, Westerbeke 7.6KW generator, Jensen stereo system, (2) TV's, Ultra-leather salon sleeper with L-shaped couch, full bridge enclosure, 50 amp shore power, NEW flat panel salon TV, Don?t miss this one! Brokerage Stock #18479 NOTE: All Brokerage boats are sold "as-is" with no warranty expressed or implied. Any representations of equipment and vessel condition are that of the seller, not Russo Marine or its agents. Additional services are available from our service department. Please contact Jared Simpson for assistance with this boat. Make: Ocean Yachts Model: 40SS Length: 40 Dealer: Russo Marine ID: 188328 Ad provided by BoatingBay

2002 Ocean Yachts Super Sport 40'

Orange Beach, Alabama

Model Super Sport 40'

2002 Ocean Yachts Super Sport 40' Solid 40' ocean that is loaded with low hours on the 3126 420hp cat engines.....1400 hr.......Great for cruising or off-shore fishing........direct tv......internet........cockpit contols.....dual a/c.......plus all the usual extras.......

1998 Ocean Yachts 40' Super Sport

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Model 40' Super Sport

Category Flybridge Boats

1998 Ocean Yachts 40' Super Sport Description A two-stateroom, one head, galley up convertiblethe Ocean 40 feels much larger than 40 feet thanks to her innovative interior design. The very fishable cockpit is also perfect for entertaining with plenty of room for a table and chairs. Engine room access is thru a door in the cockpit. Theres a tuna door in the transom and plenty of rod holders and rocket launchers. The flybridge offers comfortable seating, excellent visibility and is loaded with electronics. When entering the main salon youll be immediately struck by the U-shaped dinette situated forward and on center. The galley is to port with plenty of counter space and storage. A large L-shaped settee is to port facing a barrel chair next to the door. Everything is bright and airy with lots of natural lighting. Moving forward and down, the master stateroom is to your right and features a walk around queen size bed and 7 headroom! A large port has been added in the hull transforming this space from somewhat of a dark cave to a light filled living spacean additional port to the main salon adds even more light. The head is spacious and features a separate shower stall. A very usable guest stateroom is forward and again offers comfort and lots of storage Electronics- New (NOS) 10 chart plotter with 6 back-up Furuno 1932 48 mile open array radar Furuno color 582 fish finder with thru hull transducer Robertson 300CX Autopilot ACR remote control spotlight Northstar 6000I GPS Chartplotter (2007) Standard Horizon 182 GPS Chartplotter Icom 502 VHF radio Standard horizon back up VHF radio Raymarine Tri Data (depth, speed, temperature) Kenwood stereo CD Sci-tech chart/fish plotter (new 2012) located in cockpit Key Features; Recent flybridge enclosure Westerbeke 7.5Kw generator NEW in 2011 with dedicated start battery Lewmar anchor windlass 6 man life raft mounted on bow Two zone AC with reverse heat (Compressor replaced 2011) Cockpit engine room access Electric head with macerator U line ice maker Norcold refridgerator Two burner cook top Tappan convection microwave Separate stall shower Salon high gloss high low table Full USCG package Fresh and raw water wash downs Washer dryer combo unit Custom parallel battery systeme New carpeting throughout Plumbing system most hoses replaced and new macerator pump installed LED cockpit lighting Engines professionally serviced by Point Judith Marina New helm seating Custom blue night lights in helm Cannon autotroll downrigger DISCLAIMER The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

1997 Ocean Yachts 40 Super Sport

Island Heights, New Jersey

Model 40 Super Sport

Category Convertible Boats

1997 Ocean Yachts 40 Super Sport Check out this very popular Ocean Yacht 40' Super Sport!  Great electronics and an awesome layout inside and out!  Her knowledgeable owner has made constant upgrades.  BRING OFFERS!

1999 Ocean Yachts 40 Super Sport

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

1999 Ocean Yachts 40 Super Sport This 1999 40` Ocean Super Sport has had only 2 owners with very light use. This is a fresh water boat with only 600 hrs! Generator has 860 hrs! Never fished. This is Captain maintained by the owner with and open check book. A combination of features, performance, quality and luxury makes this Ocean Super Sport the best buy in its class. This is a must see! Turn Key Vessel ready to head south for the winter. Call for details. Steve Sharkey, Owners Agent:  954-214-1729

2002 Ocean Yachts 40 Super Sport

Marshfield, Massachusetts

2002 Ocean Yachts 40 Super Sport The 40' is one of the all-time, bestselling convertibles from Ocean Yachts and offers signature styling coupled with the type of innovative and space maximizing interior layout that can only be delivered by Ocean Yachts in the 40 foot range. The 40 offers cutting-edge performance on a hull that is super stable in the drift and while on the hook. She features a self-bailing, expansive cockpit that can accommodate the most avid angler as well as a sunset cocktail cruise as this Ocean comes equipped with a pedestal mounted table and premium stowable chairs allowing for many guests to gather in a comfortable setting. The boat truly optimizes the incredible usage of space that can only be found in an Ocean Yacht. Rod holders, tackle storage, cockpit freezer and a bait prep station are just a few of the many other features this Super Sport boasts. She is appointed with two large staterooms, a galley-up interior and features a wonderfully placed raised dinette forward in salon. Her amidships master stateroom with boasts amazing headroom and a centerlines queen berth! Cockpit highlights include engine room access, a deluxe tackle center, saltwater wash down and a gated transom door.

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Used Yachts for Sale Between 40' and 45'

Finding used yachts between 40 and 45 feet that fit your budget, your boating requirements, and are within a reasonable distance can be a daunting task with so many options on the market. The team at SI Yachts has been helping boaters find the perfect vessel since 1964 and keeping them on the water through our industry-leading service team. Call our main office today at 1-718-984-7676 and we'll connect you with the right sales professional for the type of boat, brand, or model you are searching to find.

SI Yachts is also the new boat dealer for Viking Yachts, Valhalla Boatworks, Princess Yachts, Prestige Yachts, Absolute Yachts, and HCB Yachts. We can also take your existing boat in on trade towards the purchase of a new boat. Our Diamond Listing Yacht Brokerage services include the most comprehensive marketing plan found anywhere in the industry. Let the team at SI Yachts help you into the right 40 to 45 foot boat or yacht of your dreams.

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Sail Monohulls 35ft > 40ft | Used Yachts For Sale

Sailor Cole Brauer makes history as the first American woman to race solo around the world

Aboard her 40-foot racing boat First Light ,  29-year-old Cole Brauer just became the first American woman to race nonstop around the world by herself.

The New York native pulled into A Coruña, Spain, on Thursday after a treacherous 30,000-mile journey that took 130 days.

She thanked a cheering crowd of family and fans who had been waiting for her on shore.

“This is really cool and so overwhelming in every sense of the word,” she exclaimed, before drinking Champagne from her trophy.

The 5-foot-2 powerhouse placed second out of 16 avid sailors who competed in the Global Solo Challenge, a circumnavigation race that started in A Coruña with participants from 10 countries. The first-of-its-kind event   allowed a wide range of boats to set off in successive departures based on performance characteristics. Brauer started on Oct. 29, sailing down the west coast of Africa, over to Australia, and around the tip of South America before returning to Spain.

Brauer is the only woman and the youngest competitor in the event — something she hopes young girls in and out of the sport can draw inspiration from.

“It would be amazing if there was just one girl that saw me and said, ‘Oh, I can do that too,’” Brauer said of her history-making sail.

It’s a grueling race, and more than half of the competitors have dropped out so far. One struck something that caused his boat to flood, and another sailor had to abandon his ship after a mast broke as a severe storm was moving in.

The four-month journey is fraught with danger, including navigating the three “Great Capes” of Africa, Australia and South America. Rounding South America’s Cape Horn, where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet, is often likened to climbing Mount Everest because of its perfect storm of hazards — a sharp rise in the ocean floor and whipping westerly winds push up massive waves. Combined with the frigid waters and stray icebergs, the area is known as a graveyard for ships, according to NASA. Brauer  said  she was “so unbelievably stoked” when she sailed past Cape Horn in January.

Marco Nannini, organizer of the Global Solo Challenge, said the comparison to scaling Mount Everest doesn’t capture the difficulty of the race. Sailing solo means not just being a skipper but a project manager — steering the boat, fixing equipment, understanding the weather and maintaining one’s physical health.

Nannini cited the relatively minuscule number of people who have sailed around the world solo — 186, according to the International Association of Cape Horners — as evidence of the challenges that competitors face. More than 6,000 people have climbed Mount Everest, according to  High Adventure Expeditions .

Brauer stared down 30-foot waves that had enough force to throw her across the boat. In a scare caught on camera, she badly injured her rib   near the halfway point of the event. At another point, her team in the U.S. directed Brauer to insert an IV into her own arm due to dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea.

She was able to stay in constant communication with members of her team, most of whom are based in New England,   and keep herself entertained with Netflix and video calls with family through Starlink satellites.   That’s also how Brauer was able to use Zoom to connect with NBC News for an interview, while she was sailing about 1,000 miles west of the Canary Islands.

While Brauer was technically alone on First Light, she had the company of 450,000 followers on Instagram, where she frequently got candid about life on an unforgiving sea while reflecting on her journey.

“It all makes it worth it when you come out here, you sit on the bow, and you see how beautiful it is,” she said in an Instagram video, before panning the camera to reveal the radiant sunrise.

Brauer grew up on Long Island but didn’t learn to sail until she went to college in Hawaii. She traded in her goal of becoming a doctor for life on the water. But she quickly learned making a career as a sailor is extremely difficult, with professional racers often hesitant to welcome a 100-pound young woman on their team.

Even when she was trying to find sponsors for the Global Solo Challenge, she said a lot of people “wouldn’t touch her with a 10-foot pole” because they saw her as a “liability.”

Brauer’s message to the skeptics and naysayers? “Watch me.”

“I push so much harder when someone’s like, ‘No, you can’t do that,’ or ‘You’re too small,’” Brauer explained.

“The biggest asset is your mental strength, not the physical one,” Nannini said. “Cole is showing everyone that.”

Brauer hopes to continue competing professionally and is already eyeing another around-the-world competition, but not before she gets her hands on a croissant and cappuccino.

“My mouth is watering just thinking about that.”

Emilie Ikeda is an NBC News correspondent.

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Alone on the Ocean, With 400,000 Friends

As Cole Brauer sped to the finish of a solo race around the world, she used Instagram to blow up sailing’s elitist image.

Before she could begin the Global Solo Challenge, a nonstop solo race around the world, Cole Brauer had to sail First Light, a 40-foot yacht, from Rhode Island to Spain. Credit... Samuel Hodges

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By Chris Museler

• Published Feb. 29, 2024 Updated March 7, 2024

Video dinner parties, spa days, stuffed animals, favorite hoodies and cozy, colorful fleece blankets. Cole Brauer’s Instagram feed hardly feels like the work of someone racing a 40-foot sailboat around the world in the Global Solo Challenge. But Ms. Brauer, 29, is not an average ocean racer.

In 2022, Ms. Brauer had tried out for another competition, the Ocean Race, which is considered the pinnacle of professional ocean racing. Sailors in that race are highly trained, wear matching foul weather gear and have corporate sponsors. And most of them are men. Ms. Brauer, who had sailed thousands of miles on high performance ocean racing boats, felt she was ready to join their ranks.

But after competing in trials in France, Ms. Brauer was told she was “too short for the Southern Ocean” and was sent on her way.

In spite of her small stature — she stands 5 feet 1 inch — Ms. Brauer rounded Cape Horn, Chile, on Jan. 26, the last of the three great capes of her journey to finish the Global Solo Challenge. It is a feat most of the Ocean Race sailors picked instead of her have never even attempted. And despite being the youngest competitor in the race, she is ranked second overall, just days away from reaching the finish line in A Coruña, Spain.

Along the way, her tearful reports of breakages and failures, awe-struck moments during fiery sunrises, dance parties and “shakas” signs at the end of each video have garnered her a following that has eclipsed any sailor’s or sailing event’s online, even the Ocean Race and the America’s Cup, a prestigious race that is more well known by mainstream audiences.

“I’m so happy to have rounded the Horn,” Ms. Brauer said in a video call from her boat, First Light, after a morning spent sponging out endless condensation and mildew from its bilges. “It feels like Day 1. I feel reborn knowing I’ll be in warmer weather. The depression you feel that no one in the world can fix that. Your house is trying to sink and you can’t stop it.”

Shifting gears, she added, “It’s all getting better.”

Ms. Brauer’s rise in popularity — she has more than 400,000 followers on Instagram — has come as a surprise to her, but her achievements, combined with her bright personality, have struck a chord. And she has set a goal of using her platform to change the image of professional ocean sailing.

“Cole wants to prove you can go around the world and watch Netflix every once in a while and wear your pajamas,” said Lydia Mullan, Ms. Brauer’s media manager. “As for her mental health, she’s really creating a space in her routine for herself, to create that joy she hasn’t seen in other sailors.”

Four months after she began the Global Solo Challenge, a solo, nonstop race around the world featuring sailboats of different sizes, Ms. Brauer is holding strong. Sixteen sailors began the journey and only eight remain on the ocean, with the Frenchman Philippe Delamare having finished first on Feb. 24 after 147 days at sea.

Ms. Brauer, who was more than a week ahead of her next closest competitor as of Thursday morning, is on track to set a speed record for her boat class, and to be the first American woman to complete a solo, nonstop sailing race around the world.

Her Authentic Self

Ms. Brauer has been happy to turn the image of a professional sailor on its head. Competitors in the Ocean Race and the America’s Cup tend to pose for static social media posts with their arms crossed high on their chests, throwing stern glares. Ms. Brauer would rather be more comfortable.

She brought objects like fleece blankets on her journey, despite the additional weight, and said solo sailing has helped give her the freedom to be herself.

“Without those things I would be homesick and miserable,” she said of her supply list. “We need comfort to be human. Doing my nails. Flossing. It’s hard for the general public to reach pro sailors. People stop watching. If you treat people below you, people stop watching.”

Other female sailors have noticed the same disconnect. “The year I did the Vendée Globe, Michel Desjoyeaux didn’t mention that anything went wrong,” Dee Caffari, a mentor of Ms. Brauer’s who has sailed around the world six times, said of that race’s winner. “Then we saw his jobs list after the finish and we realized he was human.”

Ms. Brauer, as her social media followers can attest, is decidedly human.

They have gotten used to her “hangout” clothes and rock-out sessions. Her team produces “Tracker Tuesdays,” where a weather forecaster explains the routes Ms. Brauer chooses and why she uses different sails, and “Shore Team Sunday,” where team members are introduced.

“In the beginning I looked at what she was doing, posting about washing her knickers in bucket and I was like, ‘No! What are you doing?’” Ms. Caffari said. “I’ve been so professional and corporate in my career. She’s been so authentic and taken everyone around the world with her. Cole is that next generation of sailor. They tell their story in a different way and it’s working.”

Finding a Purpose

Ms. Brauer was introduced to sailing at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Those days of casual racing on the turquoise waters of Kaneohe Bay informed her vision of an inclusive sailing community. That image was shattered when she came to the mainland to try her hand at professional sailing.

“When I came to the East Coast it was so closed off,” she said of those early experiences. “I couldn’t get a job in the industry. Pro sailors were jaded. They didn’t want anyone to take their job. It’s a gig-based economy. Competition, we’re pinned against each other, especially women in high-performance sailing since there are fewer of us.”

“This whole process of being a pro sailor over the past five years, I feel mentally punched in the face and my legs kicked out from under me,” she added. “I screamed and I cried. Without those experiences I wouldn’t be as mentally tough. It made me callused.”

A big break happened when she landed a gig as boat captain for Michael Hennessy’s successful Class40 Dragon. The boat was a perfect platform to hone her ocean sailing skills as she ripped up and down the East Coast delivering it to races, often alone, pushing Dragon to its limits. Her Instagram posts of those adventures drew attention, and she was invited to tryout for the Ocean Race, a fully crewed race around the world in powerful 65-footers.

“I was crushed,” Ms. Brauer said of being rejected after the trials.

Ms. Brauer, though, found a new purpose. After months of living in her van and working on Dragon, she found a benefactor in F.K. Day, the president of World Bicycle Relief and the executive vice president of SRAM Corporation, who, along with his brother Lincoln, agreed to buy a boat and fund a massive refit for the Global Solo Challenge, which was only three months away.

Conducting the hurricane of activity last summer in Newport, R.I., Ms. Brauer knew this was her moment to shine. But representatives for her new sponsors had reservations about her bold social media experiment.

“I got a massive pushback: ‘How can you be so vain. This isn’t important. We don’t want to pay for this,’” she said. “I said none of this is going to matter if the world can’t see it.”

Her boat was covered with cameras her shore team could monitor, with technology allowing for constant recording that could be used to capture unexpected twists. Ms. Brauer got some immediate traction, but nothing prepared her for the numbers she would hit once the race began.

“We were taking bets in Spain,” said Ms. Brauer, who had to sail First Light nearly 3,000 miles from Newport to Spain as a qualifier for the race. “There was a photo of me excited we hit 10,000 followers. Ten thousand for a little race? That’s massive.”

A few months later she has 40 times that count.

A Dangerous Journey

Only a handful of solo ocean racers have been American, all of whom being male. Now Ms. Brauer has a larger following than any of them, pushing far beyond the typical reach of her sport.

“This is a really good case study,” says Marcus Hutchinson, a project manager for ocean racing teams. “For me she’s an influencer. She’s a Kardashian. People will be looking for her to promote a product. She doesn’t need to worry about what the American sailors think. That’s parochial. She has to split with the American environment.”

Unlike her peers, Ms. Brauer is happy to do some extracurricular work along the way toward goals like competing in the prestigious Vendée Globe. “I’m part of the social media generation,” she said. “It’s not a burden to me.”

The playful videos and colorful backdrop, though, can make it easy for her followers to forget that she is in the middle of a dangerous race. Half her competitors in the Global Solo Challenge have pulled out, and ocean races still claim lives, particularly in the violent, frigid storms of the Southern Ocean.

“She was apprehensive,” Ms. Caffari said of Ms. Brauer’s rounding Cape Horn. “I told her: ‘You were devastated that you didn’t get on the Ocean Race. Now look at you. Those sailors didn’t even get to go to the Southern Ocean.’”

The question now is how Ms. Brauer will retain her followers’ desire for content after the race is over.

“She will be unaware of the transition she went through,” Mr. Hutchinson said. “She’s become a celebrity and hasn’t really realized it.”

Ms. Brauer, however, said she received as much from her followers as she gave them.

“They are so loving,” she said. “I send a photo of a sunset, and they paint watercolors of the scene to sell and raise money for the campaign. When I start to feel down, they let me stand on their shoulders.”

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