Dee Caffari has made steady progress through the night and has retained Aviva’s 12th position in the Transat Ecover B to B fleet. Dee has now left the notorious doldrums behind and has entered the trade winds to the west of the Cape Verde Islands.
Dee Caffari has made steady progress through the night and has retained Aviva's 12th position in the Transat Ecover B to B fleet. Dee has now left the notorious doldrums behind and has entered the trade winds to the west of the Cape Verde Islands. She has been finding the upwind conditions extremely testing in a boat designed for down-wind speed sailing but continues to learn and develop her Open 60 solo sailing skills.
Dee Caffari's latest diary entry received at 3.07am UTC on 7 December:
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"Life was miserable. For 24 hours I had barely slept due to the crashing and banging. I had barely eaten, just because I couldn't be bothered to put the kettle on and I hadn't drunk for the same reason. With my leaking windows it was almost as wet inside as it was out and I didn't really know where the best place for me was.
"Going upwind in 18-24 knots in an Open 60 sucks, so this morning I called my shore team to tell them how miserable it was as I looked at a grib file displaying consistent winds for the next couple of days. There was nothing they could do but I felt better letting them know how miserable my life was currently.
"I kept looking at the position reports during the day and wondering how the others were sailing so fast in these conditions. I know Aviva and I lack speed upwind, some extra board length would be nice but still these speeds were a huge difference. All the miles I had made up when we were off the wind and during a rather good doldrums crossing were going to be lost very quickly.
"I then experimented and by cracking the sheets by just 10 degrees I entered a new world. The boat was faster and more comfortable, not great but anything better felt good and what is a few degrees at this stage with thousands of miles to go? So what they do not tell you that I have now learnt is these guys do not sail upwind if they do not have to, sail fast somewhere else because the wind will change. Every day is a school day.
"So I am heading in a general north direction and feeling silly for giving myself such a difficult 24 hours. I had to learn somehow."
Dee
Aviva Ocean Racing summary
After setting a world record last year sailing around the world against the prevailing winds and current, Dee Caffari's next ambition is to compete in the 2008/9 Vendée Globe and become the first woman to sail around the world, solo, in both directions.
Transat Ecover B to B
The 4,300-mile single-handed Transat Ecover B to B from Salvador de Bahia in Brazil to Port-La-Forêt, France is most important milestone of the Aviva Ocean Racing campaign to date. The race 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. Despite being one of the least experienced Open 60 Skippers in the fleet, Caffari is determined to prove she can compete alongside some of the best sailors in the world.
Further information on Dee Caffari and her Aviva Ocean Racing campaign can be found at www.avivaoceanracing.com.
-ends-
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 1500 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.