Dee Caffari and her Open 60 yacht "Aviva" are in the heart of the action after successfully completing their first 24 hours of competitive Open 60 racing.
Dee Caffari and her Open 60 yacht "Aviva" are in the heart of the action after successfully completing their first 24 hours of competitive Open 60 racing. Caffari started the Calais Round Britain Race yesterday in unfavourable conditions with thick fog and light, fickle winds. However, as the wind built during the afternoon, Aviva found the power to stay in touch with the lead boats.
Overnight the conditions reverted to light, unpredictable winds and the leaders made good use of their extra speed, making a small break and creating two distinctive groups. Caffari, in the main pack, made the tactical move to head for more familiar waters off the south coast of the UK, along with the two other British boats Artemis and Roxy. As dawn broke, Caffari received the exciting news that Aviva was in fifth place ahead of both the other British boats and even two brand-new boats, which did not follow the same route.
This is a fantastic situation for the Aviva Ocean Racing team as the light winds overnight do not normally favour the boat's age and design. The forecast of light wind for the next few days means the team will be using all the tricks in the book to ensure they lose as little distance on their rivals as possible, while they hope for stronger winds.
Dee Caffari said: "Morale onboard is very high at the moment as we are currently ahead of the boats of a similar generation to Aviva. To be in front of two of the latest Open 60s is very exciting. However, the forecast does not look favourable for us, as the lighter breeze may mean we may drop back a little in the fleet."
After setting a world record last year sailing around the world against the prevailing winds and currents, Caffari is one of the newest recruits to the highly competitive world of Open 60 racing. The Calais Round Britain Race is her first step on a very steep learning curve towards achieving her ambition of competing in the Vendée Globe 2008/9 and becoming the first woman to sail around the world, solo, in both directions.
Calais Round Britain Race
Starting and finishing in Calais, the race is 1850 nautical miles around the British coastline, featuring some of the world's most technical waters with ever-changing weather conditions, tidal flows and adverse land effects. Extra vigilance is needed to keep a watchful eye out for shipping and other obstructions, such as oil rigs in the North Sea, throughout this race.
There are 11 entries and the front runners are expected to take between six to seven days to complete the course. In a change from normal Open 60 racing the boats will be crewed by five people rather than solo or double-handed.
For this race Caffari's full crew will be:
- Dee Caffari - skipper of Aviva (British)
- Nigel King - experienced yacht racing coach (British)
- Liz Wardley - professional sailor on Figaro circuit (Papua New Guinea)
- Simon Clarke - professional sailor and former boat captain of Hugo Boss (British)
- Laurent Mahy - sail designer for North Sails and professional sailor (Belgian).
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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:
Aviva
Caffari's sponsor Aviva plc is the leading writer of life and pensions business in 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 2005.
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.
Further information on Dee Caffari and her Aviva Ocean Racing campaign can be found at http://www.avivaoceanracing.com/