Dee Caffari and Anna Corbella set their new year's resolution - to finish in the top five in the Barcelona World Race
Record breaking British yachtswoman Dee Caffari and Spanish co-skipper, Anna Corbella, are now fully focussed on the task ahead as they make their final preparations ahead of the race start on Friday 31 December. As the only all-female team in the competition, they are keen to put in a competitive performance aboard the IMOCA 60 yacht GAES Centros Auditivos and show that in the world of offshore sailing, men and women compete on a level playing field.
Speaking from Barcelona, Caffari said: “In the past I felt like I was in the adventure class and now I’ve grown from that and want to race and be more competitive. I’ve been sixth in a lot of races now so I’d really like to improve on that and top five in the Barcelona World Race would make me and Anna really happy!”
Although this is Caffari’s fourth lap of the planet, she is not complacent about the challenge ahead, adding: “With the line-up, the race is now looking to be a daunting task as the calibre of sailor is high and it’s a tough field. In a round the world race there will always be casualties and you have to finish the race first and foremost. Anna and I have set our goal and we will make sure we don’t get disillusioned, as pushing the boat to the max may result in some breakages that we will need to deal with.”
The Barcelona World Race starts at 12:00 (GMT) on Friday 31 December and of the 14 IMOCA 60 boats in the fleet just two British skippers will be taking part in this year’s edition, Dee Caffari on GAES Centros Auditivos and Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss. The race is expected to last around three months and the time to beat has been set by the winner of the first edition, Paprec-Virbac 2 skippered by Jean-Pierre Dick and Damian Foxall, who covered the course in 92 days, 9 hours, 49 minutes and 49 seconds.
Barcelona World Race 2010 competitors:
- Central Lechera Asturiana - Juan Merediz (SP) & Fran Palacio (SP)
- Estrella Damm – Alex Pella (SP) & Pepe Ribes (SP)
- Foncia – Michel Desjoyeaux (FR) & François Gabart (FR)
- Forum Maritim Catala – Gerard Marin (SP) & Ludovic Aglaor (FR)
- GAES Centros Auditivos – Dee Caffari (GB) & Anna Corbella (SP)
- Groupe Bel – Kito de Pavant (FR) & Sébastien Audigane (FR)
- Hugo Boss – Alex Thomson (GB) & Andy Meiklejohn (NZ)
- Mapfre – Iker Martinez (SP) & Xabi Fernandez (SP)
- Mirabaud – Dominique Wavre (SWI) & Michèle Paret (FR)
- Neutrogena – Boris Herrmann (GER) & Ryan Breymaier (USA)
- President – Jean Le Cam (FR) & Bruno Garcia (SP)
- Renaukt Z.E. Sailing Team – Pachi Rivero (SP) & Antonio Piris (SP)
- Virbac Paprec 3 – Jean-Pierre Dick (FR) & Loïck Peyron (FR)
- We Are Water – Jaume Mumbru (SP) & Cali Sanmarti (SP)
In four years as her title sponsor, Aviva supported Dee Caffari to three world records including becoming the first woman to sail solo, non stop, around the world in both directions. As Founding Partner of the campaign, Aviva is pleased to extend this support to Anna and GAES for the Barcelona World Race.
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For more information go to www.deecaffari.com, www.gaesbwr.com, www.barcelonaworldrace.org and www.annacorbella.com
For high resolution images and video of Dee Caffari, Anna Corbella and GAES Centros Auditivos, please contact Jo Uffendell – jo@deecaffari.com or Coralie Rassinoux – coralie@deecaffari.com
Press contact in UK:
Jo Uffendell: jo@deecaffari.com Phone: +44 7699 429 260
Press contact in Spain:
Grupo Inforpress: Ricard Franco Phone: +34 93 419 06 30 / +34 v648 03 30 43
rfranco@inforpress.es
Notes to editors:
Dee Caffari & Anna Corbella
In 2006 British yachtswoman Dee Caffari MBE became the first woman to sail solo, non stop, around the world against the prevailing winds and currents. In 2009, Dee’s 6th place finish in the notorious Vendée Globe race secured her a double world record as she became the first woman to sail solo, non-stop around the globe in both directions.
Dee is competing in the Barcelona World Race alongside co skipper, Anna Corbella, who is the first Spanish woman to complete a solo transatlantic race claiming an excellent 13th place.
GAES - leader in hearing aids
Founded in 1949 and based in Barcelona, GAES Centros Auditivos has always been a pioneer in technological innovation. GAES is dedicated to providing hearing solutions for people with hearing problems. GAES currently has a network of over 500 auditory centres, of which over 400 are in Spain and the rest spread through Portugal, Chile, Argentina and Turkey.
Last year GAES, through GAES Solidaria and with the advice, technical and logistical support of the Fundació Navegació Oceánica Barcelona, entered the world of ocean racing. Its sports sponsorships totalled six Mini Class Spanish sailors, including Anna Corbella, who participated in the famous Mini-Transat. The sponsorship was linked to the distribution of 200 hearing aids among the various projects GAES Solidaria runs in different countries.
Aviva
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