Brazilian sailor Izabel Pimentel completed one of the most challenging voyages of her career at sea after covering around 8,000 nautical miles on an expedition that began in Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, arriving in Florianópolis and then a new solo crossing to Antarctica, returning to the Santa Catarina capital.
The project combined an ocean crossing, sailing in high latitudes and a strong personal symbolism: to celebrate her 60th birthday at sea, close to latitude 60 south, one of the most emblematic references of extreme navigation. "I was about to turn 60, in February, and I decided to celebrate in a symbolic way: sailing to latitude 60," the sailor sums up.
A pioneering career
Aboard the Don, a 34-foot aluminium Romanée designed by Philippe Harlé, Izabel once again pushed to the limit a career already marked by pioneering feats. Born in Aquidauana, in Mato Grosso do Sul, she was the first Brazilian woman to cross the Atlantic solo and the first Brazilian and Latin American woman to complete a solo round-the-world voyage. Today, she has more than 100,000 solo miles sailed.
It all came from a promise made before the sea of Copacabana: "I, Izabel Pimentel, will sail around the world." In 1991, the first boat came. In 2006, at 40, she made her first ocean crossing, from Brittany, in France, to Paraty, aboard a sailboat of just 21 feet.
The toughest part: the Drake Passage
The first stage began on 2 December 2025, from Lanzarote towards Brazil, arriving in Florianópolis on 14 January 2026. On 17 January, she began the second and most severe leg: the solo descent towards the far south, passing through the Antarctic region and returning to Florianópolis on 22 March, ending a journey of 63 days. In Florianópolis, she received support from Schaefer Yachts, as well as hardware from Nautos and the wind vane from South Atlantic Self Steering Gears.
The route followed the Argentine coast, between Isla de los Estados and Tierra del Fuego, until reaching the most critical point: the Drake Passage, recognised as one of the most dangerous sea routes on the planet. "The Drake is confusing: currents, distinct wind systems and crossed formations. A real maritime chaos," she described.
The crossing of the Drake began on 8 February. On 11 February, the day she turned 60, Izabel faced a storm in the middle of the southern ocean, alone, under biting cold, heavy waves and strong wind. "Now, yes, I was at the end of the world," she wrote. As she approached Antarctica, she found ice at sea, icebergs, snow and fog, the spray from the waves even froze on the boat. Without an engine and with a flat battery, she had to keep her distance from the coast amid drifting ice. "I turned 60 in the Drake, I sailed among icebergs and I felt powerful."
A landmark of women's leadership in sailing
The return was no easier: it took more than 30 days between the Drake and the Santa Catarina coast, in a sequence of calms, wind above 35 knots and accumulated physical wear. The completion of the voyage reinforces the unique place of Izabel Pimentel in the history of Brazilian navigation. In a world still marked by male predominance, her career represents a landmark of resilience, pioneering spirit and women's leadership.
"I arrived lighter, a few kilos less, but with the certainty of having lived something extraordinary," she summed up. "Possible dreams can, indeed, be realised." After the voyage, Izabel will continue sharing the behind-the-scenes of the expedition at public engagements, including a talk at the Iate Clube de Santa Catarina, on 30 March, and participation in the Rio Boat Show 2026, from 11 to 19 April, at the Marina da Glória.
By: Redação Mundo Mar
Photo: Divulgação
