  We use photometric and spectroscopic observations of the eclipsing binary E32
in the globular cluster 47 Tuc to derive the masses, radii, and luminosities of
the component stars. The system has an orbital period of 40.9 d, a markedly
eccentric orbit with e = 0.24, and is shown to be a member of or a recent
escaper from the cluster. We obtain Mp = 0.862(5) Msun , Rp = 1.183(3) Rsun ,
Lp = 1.65(5) Lsun for the primary and Ms = 0.827(5) Msun , Rs = 1.004(4) Rsun ,
Ls = 1.14(4) Lsun for the secondary. Based on these data and on an earlier
analysis of the binary V69 in 47 Tuc we measure the distance to the cluster
from the distance moduli of the component stars, and, independently, from a
color - surface brightness calibration. We obtain 4.55(3) and 4.50(7) kpc,
respectively - values compatible within 1 sigma with recent estimates based on
Gaia DR2 parallaxes. By comparing the M - R diagram of the two binaries and the
color-magnitude diagram of 47 Tuc to Dartmouth model isochrones we estimate the
age of the cluster to be 12.0 pm 0.5 Gyr, and the helium abundance of the
cluster to be Y approx 0.25.

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics;Astrophysics of Galaxies