Dee Caffari has triumphed in her quest to become the first woman to sail around the world solo, non-stop against the prevailing winds and currents.
Dee Caffari has triumphed in her quest to become the first woman to sail around the world solo, non-stop against the prevailing winds and currents.
The Aviva Challenge ended as Dee, 33, and Aviva crossed the finish line between Ushant, France, and The Lizard, UK, at 5:55:42pm today (18 May). She has joined an elite group of just four men who have completed the same journey.
Her next stop is Ocean Village Marina, Southampton, on Sunday 21 May, where she will be reunited with her family and friends. She will be greeted by HRH the Princess Royal, who was there to welcome Dee's mentor Sir Chay Blyth when he became the first person to complete the same voyage in 1971.
Over the past six months Dee has overcome extreme isolation, icebergs, mountainous waves and hurricane-force winds to set her new world record.
"When I crossed the line I was overwhelmed with emotion, it was the proudest moment of my life," she said. "I have been dreaming about this moment since the idea was first born, visualising it when things got tough, and thinking about how it would feel - and when I did a huge wave of relief and happiness washed over me.
"It was a voyage of absolute extremes, and it pushed my limits further than I had imagined. There were times when I couldn't see an end to it and I questioned whether I could do it. One of the hardest things was the mental challenge of dealing with it all on my own, but the support from my shore team and the outstanding performance of the yacht helped me bounce back when it got really tough.
"I'm so proud to have set this record and I want to thank everyone around the Aviva world for all the support they have shown me over the past six months. The goodwill messages sent to the website have been inspirational to me and I'll always remember the important role they played in my success.
"It's such a lovely feeling to know that records may be broken but a ‘first' can never be taken away!"