Aviva Ocean Racing: Dee Caffari and Nigel King eye up the competition in the Transat Jacques Vabre

On Saturday 3 November British yachtswoman Dee Caffari and her co-skipper Nigel King will start the highly competitive Transat Jacques Vabre race, from France to Brazil, onboard Open 60 racing yacht Aviva. The Transat Jacques Vabre (TJV) is one of this year's most anticipated offshore races and the two British sailors will be lining up alongside 17 other 60-foot racing yachts off the coast of Le Havre. The 4,340-mile course, following the historic coffee trade route, will be Caffari's first transatlantic race of the Aviva Ocean Racing campaign.

Before the race start Dee Caffari said: "The TJV is a hugely significant race for myself and Aviva as it's the last time we'll be racing with the knowledge and experience of a co-skipper onboard. Nigel and I have trained really hard and we're anticipating a tough and competitive race, especially against the boats that are of a similar generation.  It will be a fierce battle on the water."

Caffari's co-skipper, Nigel King added: "We've been pushing ourselves pretty hard these last few weeks and now it's time to put the training into practice. There's a lot of competition out there and we'll have to be on top of our game to stay in touch with the new generation boats. That said, Dee is a gutsy sailor and we are both looking forward to the job at hand. We can't wait to get started."

Since completing her 2006 record-breaking, non-stop solo sail against the prevailing winds and currents, Caffari has had her sights set on a new world record. Her goal is to become the first woman to sail non-stop solo around the world in both directions, by competing in the 2008/09 Vendée Globe. The TJV race will be further test of Caffari's decision-making skills and tactics as part of her preparations for next year's race.

The TJV has 64 entrants from a number of different sailing classes, the Imoca Open 60 and Class 40 monohulls, and the Open 50 and Orma class multihulls, making the 2007 edition the best subscribed in the fourteen-year history of the race. Joining Caffari in the Open 60 class will be three other British teams - Artemis, Ecover, and Roxy - challenging the traditional French dominance of Open 60 racing.

Caffari will be using the techniques and tactics she has developed over the last six months in her training and mid-distance offshore races (the Calais Round Britain and Rolex Fastnet) for the most competitive race of her Open 60 career.

To follow Caffari and King's progress in the TJV and to view Dee's video diary entries log on to www.avivaoceanracing.com.

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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: +44 (0)7786 516570
E-mail: kellyr@karen-earl.co.uk

Notes to editors:

• All skippers taking part in the 2007 race signed the Transat Jacques Vabre Charter for Sustainable Development. The five main aims of the Charter are:

1. Promote the values of sailing
2. Reduce the ecological footprint of the Transat Jacques Vabre event
3. Encourage everyone involved to commit towards creating a responsible event
4. Encourage the public to engage with the challenges of sustainable development
5. Develop the local dynamics and North-South relations.

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• Further information on Dee Caffari and her Aviva Ocean Racing campaign can be found at www.avivaoceanracing.com
• Further information on Nigel King can be found at www.nigelkingyachting.com