The strains of "Follow You Home" are resonating on Aviva today as Dee Caffari tries to drown out the ear-splitting sounds of high octane racing in the Southern Ocean with her own rendition of a favoured Nickelback track.
The strains of "Follow You Home" are resonating on Aviva today as Dee Caffari tries to drown out the ear-splitting sounds of high octane racing in the Southern Ocean with her own rendition of a favoured Nickelback track.
After being overtaken by Swiss skipper Bernard Stamm, Dee, who is racing in the Vendee Globe for the first time, is discovering that her iPod can provide an uplifting retreat from the relentlessly steep learning curve.
"To be overtaken by somebody who is on their fifth lap of the planet is not too bad to be honest," said Dee this morning as she battled with 35 knots of wind and turbulent sea state.
"You can really see the difference between the guys who have done it before and the rest of us. Look at Bernard. He is clearly more at ease with the conditions down here so would not have had any qualms about putting more sail up. But he has done four laps in this direction and knows what it is all about. Whereas I am asking myself all the time is this right, is this what the boat should be doing, am I OK? The difference is huge.
"It is not nice to lose miles to these guys but in a funny way, it gives you confidence. If they were writing reports saying things were horrendous and out of control on their boats then you would wonder but they are telling us how well they are sleeping which suggests that everything on their boats is normal and that is quite impressive."
It is not the first time Dee has been in the Southern Ocean on her own. In 2006, she became the first woman to sail solo around the world against prevailing winds and tides. This time though the waves are "massive" and the sensation of surfing is wild.
"I look out the back of the boat, see the waves and just think how stupid I must have been to spend six months crashing into them. No wonder everyone thought I was mad. It's much more comfortable this way but just a bit more scary.
"It is hard to relax. I am playing my Ipod pretty loud at the moment. Before I left I loaded a new album on that I had never listened to before - by The Script. I absolutely love it so I'm listening to that every day. If I want a singalong, I play Nickelback and reckon I am singing louder than the noise the boat makes."
Her spirits have also been lifted by a daily surprise, organised for her by her shore crew.
"Every 10 days I open a food bag and the guys have put in a little bag of cards and a present. So every single day I have a card to open and in that is a picture or a poem or a rhyme. Some of them are very random but they are keeping me entertained - they either make me laugh or cry. Some of them are incredibly funny."
A tendency to cry took a hold though when it hit home just how long she would be in the isolated wilderness of the Southern Ocean.
"I had a couple of days when I freaked out a bit and was super sensitive about everything," Dee admitted.
"I phoned my boyfriend Harry in a flurry of tears. It was a combination of everything - I was in the south. It was full on and it would be like this for a while. I had never done this before and I was on my own. He just said ‘Whoooaaa' - that took a long time coming. I suppose it was a surprise it hadn't happened before and its fine now but I just had a small panic I think, which is a bit weird because I am enjoying it."
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.
-ends-
For further information and interview requests contact:
Caroline Ayling
Mobile: +44 (0) 7801 351950
E-mail: caroline.ayling@synergy-sponsorship.com
Kelly Russell
Mobile: +44 (0)7786 516570
E-mail: Kelly.russell@synergy-sponsorship.com
Website: www.avivaoceanracing.com
Images: www.avivaoceanracing.com/images
Notes to editors:
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 2007.
Aviva's principal business activities are long-term savings, fund management and general insurance, with worldwide total sales of £49.2 billion and funds under management of £359 billion at 30 June 2008.
The Aviva media centre at www.aviva.com/media includes images, company and product information and a news release archive.
For broadcast-standard video, please visit our video section.