Record-breaking yachtswoman, 34-year old Dee Caffari enlists yacht racing expert Nigel King and weather router Mike Broughton as the Aviva Ocean Racing campaign prepares for a summer of competitive racing. Her successful transition to the Open 60 class will require expertise from a range of trainers that Caffari refers to as her ‘knowledge bank'.
Record-breaking yachtswoman, 34-year old Dee Caffari enlists yacht racing expert Nigel King and weather router Mike Broughton as the Aviva Ocean Racing campaign prepares for a summer of competitive racing. Her successful transition to the Open 60 class will require expertise from a range of trainers that Caffari refers to as her 'knowledge bank'.
Caffari is looking to learn from King's experience to further develop her Open 60 race tactics and boat handling in the lead up to the 2008/9 Vendée Globe. King has a strong background in this class, demonstrated in 2006 when he set the current race record in the IMOCA St Nazaire/St Malo Race with Mike Golding and Laurent Mahy.
In addition to King's extensive knowledge across a number of classes, ranging from the Volvo Ocean Race to Olympic trials, regular outings on the water will play a major role in developing Caffari as an Open 60 race skipper. He will also be part of her crew for the Calais Round Britain Race in June 2007.
Caffari's full crew for the Calais Round Britain race starting on 3 June will be:
Dee Caffari - British, skipper of Aviva
Nigel King - British, yacht racing expert and Open 60 trainer Liz Wardley - Papua New Guinea, professional sailor
Simon Clarke - British, professional sailor and former captain of Hugo Boss
Laurent Mahy - Belgian, sail designer for North Sails and professional sailor
Caffari also announces that Mike Broughton, will be sailing alongside her in the two-handed Fastnet Race starting on the 12 August 2007. Broughton has stayed with the team from the Aviva Challenge, when he successfully worked with Caffari to navigate around the world against the prevailing winds and currents. The Fastnet will be a valuable training exercise for Caffari in a race scenario onboard with her weather routing expert.
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For further information contact:
Caroline Ayling, Karen Earl Sponsorship
tel: 020 7202 2840, mbl: 07801 351950,
e-mail: carolinea@karen-earl.co.uk
Notes to editors:
- Aviva
Caffari's sponsor Aviva plc is the leading provider of life and pensions to Europe with substantial positions in other markets around the world, making it the world's fifth largest insurance group based on gross worldwide premiums at 31 December 2005.
Aviva's principal business activities are long-term savings, fund management and general insurance, with worldwide total sales of £41.5 billion and assets under management of £364 billion at 31 December 2006.
- Nigel King biography
King's passion for sailing has involved him in the 2001/02 and 2005/06 Volvo Ocean Races, the Jules Verne Trophy, Olympic trials and many classic yachting events around the world. In 2000 he founded Nigel King Yachting, which offers a full yachting and coaching consultancy service. In 2006, he teamed up with Mike Golding and Ecover to set a new race record of 1 day 8 hours 48 minutes 35 seconds at the IMOCA St Nazaire/St Malo Race.
See www.nigelkingyachting.com for further information on King's latest projects or contact info@nigelkingyachting.com
- Mike Broughton biography
Broughton has enjoyed a wide-ranging career working with the elite of the sailing world on a range of events and races. Both Olympic medallists and around the world race skippers seek his advice on forecasting and weather routing. He also assists in forecasting for race organisers such as the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the America's Cup. As a racing navigator and skipper he has won many titles and trophies across the world. Broughton also had a successful and varied career in the Royal Navy, flying in the Fleet Air Arm and finally working in British Intelligence. He saw action in several war zones as a 'special forces' Commando helicopter pilot. Broughton is also qualified as a Master to captain huge superyachts.
- Further information on Dee Caffari and her Aviva Ocean Racing campaign can be found at www.avivaoceanracing.com