British record breaking yachtswoman Dee Caffari, currently 750 miles off land in the South Atlantic, has turned her racing yacht Aviva into a laboratory. The solo skipper is conducting some ground-breaking nutritional research as she competes in the Vendée Globe round-the-world yacht race.
British record breaking yachtswoman Dee Caffari, currently 750 miles off land in the South Atlantic, has turned her racing yacht Aviva into a laboratory. The solo skipper is conducting some ground-breaking nutritional research as she competes in the Vendée Globe round-the-world yacht race.
Scientific research has been taking place for years across many sports. However, research into long-term energy consumption, specifically in round-the-world sailing, has always been limited due to the extreme nature of the competitive environment. Sailors use huge amounts of energy whilst at sea for over three months and often facing hostile storm conditions which make sampling a difficult business.
In between trimming sails and downloading weather data, Caffari has been downing mugs of tracer water then urinating into special cups to provide samples that will be analysed on her return to dry land as part of a research project into energy consumption among long-distance solo sailors.
Leeds Metropolitan University in conjunction with MRC Human Nutrition Research Laboratory in Cambridge is conducting the research to gain a better understanding of the relationship between nutritional intake and energy expenditure and what it takes to maintain muscle mass and physical well-being during long spells of high level physical exertion.
"The five samples I've had to provide during the Atlantic phase of the race are all done now but I have to do five more in the Southern Ocean and that could be trickier!" said Caffari who was lying in 15th place, having closed the gap to the leader Loick Peyron to just over 400 miles.
Caffari, a former student at Leeds Metropolitan University, has worked alongside the specialists at Leeds Carnegie Centre for Sports Performance and Wellbeing in the build up to her round the world sailing campaign. Before departing on the 27,000 marathon race the solo skipper worked on her fitness, strength, diet and psychology with a team headed up by John O'Hara, senior lecturer in Sports Performance Physiology.
O'Hara comments: "The Vendée Globe is an arduous physical challenge, where Dee is required to perform sail changes and mainsail hoisting to maintain optimum boat speed, as well as running repairs and maintenance. All these activities, as well as others, require a high level of physical exertion. Therefore, Dee must aim to ensure her nutritional intake meets the physical demands of her voyage, matching nutritional intake and energy expenditure is essential for maintaining muscle mass, physical well-being, Dee's performance and that of Aviva.
"Currently, there is a lack of information available about the precise energy expenditure requirements of solo sailing in the Vendée Globe round-the-world yacht race, especially during different stages of the race. By taking urine samples over several days, we can determine how many calories have been expended during the period of the test. This will then provide precise information about Dee's individual energy requirements during these different phases of the race."
Caffari added from onboard Aviva in the South Atlantic: "Previously we have only had anecdotal evidence about what tires us when we are racing around the world but my opinion on it might be very different from Mike Golding's for example so this research will provide a more scientific basis. They did a body analysis before I left and they will do one again when I get back so they can work out changes in my body fat and muscle mass.
"It's really cool and means that if I get the chance to do this again I will have a much better idea of what I need to eat and when I need to eat it so that my performance is always maintained at an optimum level."
Caffari described the current conditions onboard Aviva this morning: "At the moment, I am having to work really hard because the wind is really up and down - its gone from nine to 29 knots a couple of times - and is coming round from the south so I'm hard on the nose trying to get south and there is a lot of trimming to do, a few reefs in and out and a bit of headsail action.
"It is overcast and we've had a few rain squalls so weather wise, it is a bit miserable really. But what is distressing me most at the moment is that I think I found a grey hair. I thought my hair had gone really blond from the sun but I'm not really sure and it is really distressing me. I am quite traumatised by it."
Whether it is the weather, her hair or her urine, there is plenty of analysis going on in the Aviva lab and as temperatures start to cool, Caffari is finding the conditions perfect for solving problems as the boat turns into her very own workshop.
"I've had a problem with the generator and I solved that with my soldering iron. Had a problem with the computer yesterday and I solved that and the day before we had a problem with the mainsheet block and I solved that so I'm feeling quite strong in the solving and soldering department."
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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Website: www.avivaoceanracing.com
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