SHE sailed into the record books by becoming the oldest person to sail around the world solo, non-stop and unassisted.

Hampshire supergran Jeanne Socrates made headlines around the world after her 38ft yacht was greeted by a flotilla of small boats at the end of her 25,000-mile voyage.

During her gruelling round-the-world trip she suffered a ripped mainsail and lost the yacht's solar panels overboard - but refused to give up.

Now Jeanne, 78, from Lymington, is one of just four people in the running for a bravery award.

Daily Echo:

She is a finalist in the Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons 2020 and could be crowned the winner in the Active Agers category at a ceremony next month.

Jeanne set off Victoria in Canada in October 2018, arriving back in September last year.

The former maths teacher said: “While I can still do something, I just go for it. You shouldn’t be put off by people telling you you’re too old.

"If you have your health you should go for it."

Jeanne beat the previous record set by Minoru Saito, who was 71 when he completed a 233-day solo lap of the world in 2005.

She said: “I had so many people coming up to meet me as I crossed the line, blasting horns and coming into the harbour. There was no wind - I had to kind of drift over the line - but it was a wonderful feeling."

Jeanne encountered stormy weather when she was sailing the Southern Ocean surrounding Antartica.

She said: "I got a hole in my cabin roof, lost my solar panels, the radar was impaired and the safety device I put out in bad conditions got damaged.”

Daily Echo:

Jeanne is currently in Australia after trouble with her flights due to coronavirus, while her boat is still in Canada.

She began sailing her fifties and was accompanied by her husband George until he died in 2003. Since then she has sailed alone, with only passing seabirds for company.

Hearing specialists Amplifon are hosting a virtual awards ceremony on October 13. Falklands War hero Simon Weston will be the guest of honour.