Vendée Globe

A phenomenal lady

When you spend most of your childhood in Portsmouth sailing with your Dad from an early age in a British yachting paradise, isn’t this surely your destiny?

Whatever the answer, Dee Caffari does things on a grand scale. In 2004, she took part in the Global Challenge. In 2006, she achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the first woman to sail around the world single-handed “the wrong way”, against the prevailing winds and currents. On board her 72-foot boat designed for a crew, she struggled for six months to complete this long voyage around the planet: 178 days, 3 hours and 5 minutes. She thus entered the history books alongside VDH, Philippe Monnet and indeed Mike Golding, with whom she has worked.

For this successful sportswoman, a former sailing monitor and physical education instructor, who did the London Marathon in 7 hours and 23 minutes, « The Vendée Globe is the most difficult yachting race: the best sailors in the world, the best boats, the largest fleet.» Dee just can’t wait to enter the history books and become queen once again by being the first woman to have sailed around the world single-handed in both directions.

Press Contact  : Jo UFFENDEL
+44 (0) 787 264 21 87 / jo@deecaffari.com

• 2007 “Transgascogne” Bay of Biscay race: 8th in the two-handed category
• 11th in the 2007 Calais Round Britain Race
• 2005-2006 Aviva Challenge (non-stop solo circumnavigation from east to west)
• 10th in the 2004-2005 Global Challenge

On the 60’ « Aviva »
• 8th in the Artemis Transat
• 5th in the Artemis Challenge

Aviva is the latest creation from the Owen-Clarke design team. She is also the sistership to Ecover, Mike Golding’s boat. A choice, which is allowing both boats to develop together by an exchange of information aiming to make the two yachts that much easier to handle.

Boat - Designer: Owen Clarke Design - Boatyard : Hakes Marine (Wellington, New Zealand) - Launch date: January 2008 - Length : 18.28 m (60’) - Beam : 5.80 m (19’) - Draught: 4.50 m (14’9’’) - Displacement (weight): 8300kg - Mast height: 27m (88’6’’) - Keel blade : steel - Upwind sail surface: 300 m2 - Downwind sail surface: 580 m2

© François Chevalier

• 07/04/09 : Party time for Aviva
• 25/03/09 : Ski-ing holidays for Sam and Dee
• 01/03/09 : Aviva in London tomorrow
• 25/02/09 : Dee returning home
• 19/02/09 : Dee live tomorrow with Cali