The frustration of seeing "big fat zeros" on the instruments for hours on end has been offset by the anticipation of "things to come" for Aviva's Dee Caffari.
The frustration of seeing "big fat zeros" on the instruments for hours on end has been offset by the anticipation of "things to come" for Aviva's Dee Caffari. Whilst Dee works hard to keep Aviva going in the light winds, Mike Golding powered his new Ecover III, sister ship to Dee's new Open 60 currently being built in New Zealand, to the front of the Transat Jacques Vabre fleet.
The new Aviva, being constructed at Hakes Marine in Wellington as part of a technical alliance with Mike Golding Yacht Racing, will be launched next month allowing almost a year for testing and racing before theVendéeGlobe 2008/9. According to Dee's co-skipper Nigel King, Ecover III's performance in her first major competition is creating a real buzz.
"This is great for Mike because he has worked so hard and great for Dee because her new boat is on its way. She is getting very excited. It is brilliant to have the current Aviva to campaign in this race but we can see the differences in performances between the new boats and the old boats, so she can't wait to get her hands on it."
The breeze that proved so elusive over the weekend causing morale on board Aviva to plummet, picked up last night to around 14 knots offering a welcome opportunity to make up some lost ground.
"We have been very frustrated going at one or two knots but there was nothing we could do about it. We are going again now so want to concentrate on making up the miles. There is still a long way to go - we are not even half way and we think we can get back in touch with our rivals again.
"To be brutally honest, Dee copes much better with these frustrations than I do," Nigel admitted.
Currently lying in 13th place, more than 400 miles behind Golding and Bruno Dubois in Ecover III but ahead of the same generation Open 60s Cervin EnR and Great American III.
Despite the challenges faced in the Transat Jacque Vabre, Dee knows the race is giving her the vital experience needed in her bid to become the first woman to sail both ways round the world by competing in the Vendée Globe 2008/9.
To follow Caffari and King's progress in the Transat Jacques Vabre race and to view Dee's video diary entries log on to www.avivaoceanracing.com.
To receive Dee's diary, via the RSS feed visit http://www.avivaoceanracing.com/rss.
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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: 07786 516570
E-mail: kellyr@karen-earl.co.uk
Notes to editors:
All skippers taking part in the 2007 race signed the Transat Jacques Vabre Charter for Sustainable Development. The five main aims of the Charter are:
- Promote the values of sailing
- Reduce the ecological footprint of the Transat Jacques Vabre event
- Encourage everyone involved to commit towards creating a responsible event
- Encourage the public to engage with the challenges of sustainable development
- Develop the local dynamics and North-South relations
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.