With her knee on the mend, Dee Caffari has put her foot on the pedal of Aviva and is charging through the Southern Ocean like a "juggernaut" in the 27,000 mile round the world Vendée Globe yacht race.
With her knee on the mend, Dee Caffari has put her foot on the pedal of Aviva and is charging through the Southern Ocean like a "juggernaut" in the 27,000 mile round the world Vendée Globe yacht race.
The record-breaking yachtswoman, who has now "turned left" and is heading for the first ice gate in the Southern Ocean, is surfing through the waves in 20 knots of breeze and getting a real buzz from Aviva's speeds and performance.
"It's like being on a train on the edge of control," she said.
"I have been doing 22 knots and the boat felt like it was a juggernaut but it's not because it is really windy. She just catches a wave and she's off on one. The noise is awesome - down below you are thinking this is absolutely horrendous then you go up on deck and the boat is fine. The noise does not relay how good it is.
"This exhilaration is a far cry from the last few days when an inflamed knee forced her to take a reality check. It was the first time she had been injured while sailing alone at sea," she said.
"The doctor said it sounded a bit like what Tony Mutter suffered from on Ericsson 4 in the Volvo Race and he had to be airlifted off and that worried me.
"If it spread up my leg, I would have had to have got off so I knew it was serious and that if I didn't catch it in time, the consequences could be horrendous so I am very relieved it is better.
"I still have to be careful and am shuffling everywhere on my bum. I am wearing a knee pad all the time and trying to stay off it but it is amazing how many times you wedge yourself in using your knee - I never realised how much I did it. Even if you are putting a reef in and leaning over a winch, you generally bend your knee and wedge it against something but I can't do that with that leg. It's a bit weird."
A drop in temperature combined with the good news on her leg has resulted in improved eating and sleeping patterns and a more sure footed approach. She has come a long way, she admits.
"My eating and sleeping is much better on this race than it has been previously and I am feeling the benefits. I am more emotionally stable, more matter of fact about what is happening and am not wasting my energy panicking and getting upset.
"Sure I get frustrated and having a bad knee coincided with encountering light airs so it was difficult to get the miles in especially when the guys at the front hit the windy stuff and I could see the gap opening up.
"But I understand now why that is happening and so although it is frustrating, I am not stressed about it. This is very different from what I used to be where I wasn't sure what I was doing and felt everyone was watching me make mistakes. I feel so much more confident now - I am sailing MY boat and am going in this direction. It's a lot more relaxing and a lot more enjoyable. It makes me realise how far I have come."
The 10am race ranking placed Dee Caffari and Aviva in 15th position, chasing the only other female competitor in the race, Sam Davies on Roxy, who is 80 miles ahead in 14th.
Aviva Ocean Racing summary
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, is attempt her next "world first" by competing in the Vendée Globe yacht race. Caffari is attempting to become the first woman to sail solo and non-stop both ways around the world.
Further information on Dee Caffari and her Aviva Ocean Racing campaign can be found at www.avivaoceanracing.com.
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For further information and interview requests contact:
Caroline Ayling
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E-mail: caroline.ayling@synergy-sponsorship.com
Kelly Russell
Mobile: +44 (0)7786 516570
E-mail: Kelly.russell@synergy-sponsorship.com
Website: www.avivaoceanracing.com
Images: www.avivaoceanracing.com/images
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