Record-breaking British yachtswoman Dee Caffari, who sailed into the record books in May 2006 by becoming the first woman to sail solo, non-stop around the world against the prevailing winds and currents, will start her next ‘world first’ attempt on Sunday 9 November. Caffari is attempting to become the first woman to sail solo and non-stop both ways around the world.
The solo skipper, sponsored by the world’s fifth largest insurance group Aviva since her first world record voyage in 2005/06, will start the Vendée Globe yacht race at 12:02 (GMT) on Sunday 9 November from Les Sables d’Olonne, France. The Vendée Globe, often known as the ‘Everest of the Seas’, is an extreme 27,000-mile challenge through the Atlantic and the notorious Southern Ocean.
Caffari may be making her Vendée Globe debut but she already has a wealth of experience of battling the storms and depressions widespread in the treacherous Southern Ocean. She has accumulated over 200 days of sailing in this hostile region on previous voyages. The main difference is that this time she will be sailing with the winds and currents and it will be in a competitive race environment. Caffari took 178 days to complete her first record-breaking voyage known as the Aviva Challenge but, with a new generation, state-of-the-art Open 60 yacht also called Aviva, she will attempt to circumnavigate the globe in approximately 90 days.
A total of 30 solo skippers from seven different countries will start the Vendée Globe on Sunday. The majority of the fleet are French but competitors from the UK, Spain, Switzerland, America, Canada and Austria are all determined to challenge the French dominance in this race. Since 1989 a Frenchman has won every edition of this gruelling race. However, with 22 new boats built specifically for the Vendée Globe 2008/09, this is going to be the most hotly contested race to date.
Caffari said from the dockside in Les Sables d’Olonne:
‘On Sunday, I’ll set sail against the best solo sailors in the world in my attempt to set a second world record. My boat Aviva has been prepared well and I’ve trained hard both physically and mentally to be in the best shape to take on this gruelling race. My number one goal is to bring Aviva home safely and sail into the history books again. The Vendée Globe is a notoriously tough and challenging race with history proving 40% of the fleet will fail to make the finish line but I’m feeling confident I can complete the double world first.’
Philip Scott, chief financial officer, Aviva added:
‘Everyone in the Aviva group is hugely proud of Dee’s achievements to date and we all wish her the best of luck in the Vendée Globe. Dee may be alone at sea, but I know that she has the support of 57,000 employees in our 27 countries around the world behind her. We’re all looking forward to watching the race unfold and will be following Dee’s progress daily.’
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