On the Wind Sailing

Cole Brauer & I could have talked for another hour after the last time she was on the show, so this time we did just that! I chatted to Cole during her book tour for the release of her memoir FIRST LIGHT (out now!). She'd been on a whirlwind travel schedule, and I'm pretty sure was talking to me from a hotel in New York. We discussed ""extroverting"" and the energy that takes from both of us, the process of getting her book to the world, her story of recording the audiobook version in a studio in London and much, much more. Make sure to get your copy of Cole's book FIRST LIGHT, it's great!
Audio excerpted courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio from First Light by Cole Brauer, read by Cole Brauer. © 2026 Cole Brauer, ℗ 2026 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Support the podcast & become a member of The Quarterdeck, where Andy, August & Mia dive deep on the art of seam'nship. Nerd out with us on our members-only forum and talk boats, gear, safety-at-sea, meet like-minded sailors, find crew, and more. Check it out on quarterdeck.59-north.com. See you there!
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This season of ON THE WIND is supported by our friends at Weems & Plath and BVI Yacht Sales. Support the show by supporting our sponsors!

Guess what? It's Matt Rutherford on the show again! Matt & I recorded this episode while he was at-sea on the Valiant 42, far north of Russia and a few days away from entering the first ""pinch point"" on his Northern Sea Route above Siberia. Meanwhile I was recording from the cabin on SPICA outside Stockholm. Matt & I talked through how the first 4,000+ miles of his passage has gone so far, how he was featured in Playboy magazine, what he thinks his chances of success are and how much he enjoys being alone at sea.
Make sure to donate to Matt's Ocean Research Project so they can continue doing the environmental and climate research in the far north, or better yet, come to our Crew Party in Annapolis this October where all proceeds will go to ORP!

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Support the podcast & become a member of The Quarterdeck, where Andy, August & Mia dive deep on the art of seam'nship. Nerd out with us on our members-only forum and talk boats, gear, safety-at-sea, meet like-minded sailors, find crew, and more. Check it out on quarterdeck.59-north.com. See you there!
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This season of ON THE WIND is supported by our friends at Weems & Plath and BVI Yacht Sales. Support the show by supporting our sponsors!

Cole Brauer returns to the podcast to talk with Andy this time. She shares her journey from local sailing ambitions to global recognition, exploring the challenges of gender equity, the realities of professional racing, and the importance of community and mental health in the sailing world. We talk about mental health challenges, the importance of disconnecting to reconnect, and how sailing and living simply have transformed her perspective on happiness and success. Cole's book 'First Light: Sailing Solo but Not Alone' launches officially September 15!
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Support the podcast & become a member of The Quarterdeck, where Andy, August & Mia dive deep on the art of seam'nship. Nerd out with us on our members-only forum and talk boats, gear, safety-at-sea, meet like-minded sailors, find crew, and more. Check it out on quarterdeck.59-north.com. See you there!
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This season of ON THE WIND is supported by our friends at Schooner Woodwind and BVI Yacht Sales. Support the show by supporting our sponsors!

Back in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, August and Øyvind Nilssen were both out sailing on two very different boats. He was sailing in Lofoten, and August was passing through on a brand-new Bavaria he was delivering along the Norwegian coast. They rafted up together in a beautiful little cove, and had a hell of a party that night. The next morning, they found some peace and quiet to record this podcast.
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Support the podcast & become a member of The Quarterdeck, where Andy, August & Mia dive deep on the art of seam'nship. Nerd out with us on our members-only forum and talk boats, gear, safety-at-sea, meet like-minded sailors, find crew, and more. Check it out on quarterdeck.59-north.com. See you there!
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This season of ON THE WIND is supported by our friends at Schooner Woodwind and BVI Yacht Sales. Support the show by supporting our sponsors!

Will Sofrin returns to the podcast to talk about his new book on the USCG EAGLE tall ship. Will, a former "yachtie" turned tallship sailor, first came on the show back in 2023 to talk about delivering the ship used in the film Master & Commander, which became the subject of his first book, "All Hands on Deck," which I LOVE and which has a place in FALKEN's onboard library. This time we talked about his budding career as a writer since the success of that first book, the incredible Nazi history of the EAGLE and about leadership in the wider context.
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Support the podcast & become a member of The Quarterdeck, where Andy, August & Mia dive deep on the art of seam'nship. Nerd out with us on our members-only forum and talk boats, gear, safety-at-sea, meet like-minded sailors, find crew, and more. Check it out on quarterdeck.59-north.com. See you there!
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This season of ON THE WIND is supported by our friends at Schooner Woodwind and BVI Yacht Sales. Support the show by supporting our sponsors!