Dee Caffari, the record-breaking British yachtswoman, today sets sail on another personal first. At 2pm UTC Caffari starts her first solo race, The Transat Ecover B to B, onboard her Open 60 yacht Aviva from Brazil to France.
Dee Caffari, the record-breaking British yachtswoman, today sets sail on another personal first. At 2pm UTC Caffari starts her first solo race, The Transat Ecover B to B, onboard her Open 60 yacht Aviva from Brazil to France. In doing so she reaches her most important milestone of the Aviva Ocean Racing campaign to date. The race will take Caffari across the North Atlantic in December where the winter weather will expose her to fierce winds and huge swells.
The inspirational yachtswoman is setting sail in the 4,300-mile single-handed Transat Ecover B to B from Salvador de Bahia in Brazil to Port-La-Forêt, France. It will be the first time that Caffari has raced solo and is the first time she'll be alone at sea since completing her record making round the world voyage. In 2006 she became the first woman to sail solo non-stop around-the-world against the prevailing winds and currents in the Aviva Challenge.
Caffari has now set her sights on becoming the first woman to sail both ways around the world by competing in the 2008/09 Vendée Globe. Her next step towards this goal is the solo B to B race and despite being one of the least experienced Open 60 Skippers in the fleet, she is determined to prove she can compete alongside some of the best sailors in the world. The weather reports show that this race is unlikely to be similar to the recent Transat Jacques Vabre race and Caffari will now compete in some very fast, furious and exciting sailing.
Caffari commented from the dockside in Bahia, Brazil: "This is a really important race for me as it will be the first time I've sailed solo since completing the Aviva Challenge. I'm raring to get out there on my own and prove to myself and the rest of the class that I'm a competitive Open 60 skipper. A major incentive for me is this race is a qualifier for the Vendée Globe. A successful finish in Port-La-Forêt will mean my name is on the list of entrants for next year's round the world race."
Caffari will be crossing the Transat Ecover B to B start line only five days after she finished the double-handed Transat Jacques Vabre race with damage to the top section of her mast. However, the Aviva Ocean Racing shore team have been working tirelessly over the last five days to make the necessary repairs.
Caffari added: "It's been a rollercoaster of a week and not the most ideal preparations for my first solo sail with Aviva. We safely crossed the Transat Jacques Vabre finish line last Friday and the team have been working flat out to get the mast repaired in time for the Transat B to B start. We took Aviva for a test sail on Tuesday and I‘m totally confident that I‘ll be able to race back to Brittany. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. It's a big race for me, my first solo sail since entering the IMOCA class and a really big step on my learning curve."
Harry Spedding, campaign manager, added: "The team have worked incredibly hard over the last few days and we've been fortunate in receiving tremendous support from other members of the fleet. Everyone has been great and we cannot thank them enough, the spirit in this class is fantastic. We took Aviva out for a test sail and pushed her as hard as we could. We've done everything we can with the repair to Aviva's mast and Dee should be confident on the start line that the boat will enable her to finish her first solo Open 60 race."
To follow Caffari on the Transat Ecover B to B and view her diary log on to www.avivaoceanracing.com.
Dee Caffari will be calling into the Earls Court Boat Show on Friday 30 November at 3.20pm UTC and Thursday 4 December at 8.30pm UTC.
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For further information contact:
Caroline Ayling
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7202 2840
Mobile: +44 (0)7801 351950
E-mail: carolinea@karen-earl.co.uk
Kelly Russell
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7202 2862
Mobile: 07786 516570
E-mail: kellyr@karen-earl.co.uk
Notes to editors:
Aviva plc
Aviva 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 2006.
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.
The Aviva media centre at www.aviva.com/media includes images, company and product information and a news release archive.
2008/9 Vendée Globe qualification requires both the skipper and the boat entering the race to complete a solo qualification sail validated by the Vendée Globe race management of at least 1,500 nautical miles, by 1 July 2008. The Transat Ecover B to B will qualify Dee and the current Aviva. However, she will be required to qualify the new Aviva that is currently under construction in Hakes Marine, New Zealand. She will be racing the new Aviva, sister ship to Mike Golding's new Ecover, in the 2008/9 Vendée Globe.
Further information on Dee Caffari and her Aviva Ocean Racing campaign can be found at www.avivaoceanracing.com