Dee Caffari

Denise "Dee" Caffari MBE (born 23 January 1973) is a British sailor, and in 2006 became the first woman to sail single-handedly and non-stop around the world "the wrong way"; westward against the prevailing winds and currents.[1] In February 2009, Caffari completed the Vendée Globe race and set a new record to become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop, around the world in both directions.[2]

Dee Caffari
Caffari arrives in London at the end of the Vendée Globe race, 2009
Personal information
Full nameDenise Caffari
Born23 January 1973 (1973-01-23) (age 50)
Rute (Córdoba)

Early life

Descended from a Maltese sea captain,[3] Caffari grew up in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire and attended St. Clement Danes School. Caffari studied at Leeds Metropolitan University and became a PE teacher for 5 years before beginning her sailing career.

Caffari trained at UKSA (based in Cowes, Isle of Wight) completing her Yachtmaster course and a range of ocean qualifications. Caffari then worked for Formula 1 Sailing, first as a skipper and then as the manager of their fleet of Farr 65s in the UK and the Caribbean.

Awards

On 2 December 2006, she was a runner up for BBC South Sports Personality of the Year. She did win the Tenon Yachtsperson of the Year award.[4]

In 2007 she was awarded an MBE for service to sailing.[5]

Shortlisted in 2011 for the World Sailing – Rolex World Sailing of the Year Award[6]

Sailing career

Highlight
PosYearRaceClassBoat NameNotesRef
Round the World Races
6/720182017–18 Volvo Ocean RaceVolvo Ocean 65Turn the Tide on PlasticSkipper of a youth mixed gender entry[7]
6/720152014–15 Volvo Ocean RaceVolvo Ocean 65Team SCAPart of the only all female crew in the race[8]
6/142011Barcelona World RaceIMOCA 60GAES Centros Auditivos
- ESP 222
(formerly Aviva)		with Anna Corbella in 102 days 19 hour 17 min[9]
7/3020092008–2009 Vendée Globe Race
(Solo Nonstop Eastabout)		IMOCA 60Aviva - GBR 22299 days 1 hrs 10 min 57 sec[10]
World
Record		2006Around the world sailing record
(1st Solo Female Nonstop Westabout)		Challenge 72Aviva178 days 17hrs 55min 42secs[11]
10/122004Global Challenge RaceChallenge 72Imagine it. DoneSkipper of a fully crewed amateur stopping
Other Significant Races
2011Rolex Fastnet RaceMultihullMOD 70 – Race for WaterCrew member
World
Record		2009Outright none stop Round Britain and Ireland RecordIMOCA 60Aviva - GBR 2226 days 11hrs 30sec[12]
8/132007The Artemis TransatIMOCA 60Aviva - GBR 222Vendee Qualifier
2007Calais Round Britain RaceIMOCA 60Aviva - GBR 222Solo 11 days 1hrs 0 min
Vendee Qualifier		[13]
4e/172007Transat Jaque Vabre:IMOCA 60Aviva - GBR 11120d 08h 10m
with Nigel KING		[14]
DNF2007Transat Ecover B2B RaceIMOCA 60Aviva - GBR 111Charter Boat Dismasted[15]

Background

Her initial professional sailing career was spent working for both Sir Robin Knox-Johnson and Sir Chay Blyth sailing adventure companies, so her progression into being a round the world sailing pioneer was not a surprise.

Her first round the world voyage came as skipper of Imagine It. Done in the 2004 Global Challenge Round the World Yacht Race. The Global Challenge was an amateur crew who paid to race around the world with a professional skipper in matching Challenge 72 yachts. The only similar race is Clipper Round the Race but the challenge race went against the prevailing wind conditions and traded under the term "The World Toughest Yacht Race" for this reason. Dee managed one serious situation when a crewmember needed to be airlifted off in the Southern Ocean by the New Zealand Rescue Service due to an abdominal infection.[16]

On 20 November 2005, she set off on her attempt to single-handedly circumnavigate the world against the prevailing winds and currents. She finished on 18 May 2006, at 17:55pm, after 178 days at sea. Her voyage was sponsored by Aviva.[17][18][19]

In January 2007 Caffari announced that she would be taking part in the 2008/09 – Vendée Globe singlehanded round the world yacht race, again sponsored by Aviva.[20] In March 2007 she announced a technical partnership with Mike Golding to allow both the British entries in the Vendée Globe to work together.[21]

In December 2007 she had to be rescued by Royal Navy frigate HMS Northumberland after dismasting in severe weather off northwest Spain whilst competing singlehanded in the Transat Ecover B2B Race.[19][22]

She was a guest skipper on Maiden's global voyage in 2018 in support of The Maiden Factor Foundation.[23]

Role within the Community

Dee has been an enthusiastic supporter of charities such as Toe in The Water (using competitive sailing to re-inspire injured servicemen), and Sail 4 Cancer.[24]

In October 2011, Dee Caffari accepted the role as the new patron for the charity Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service which is an independent lifeboat station based in Stokes Bay local to where Dee Caffari lives.[25]

Dee Caffari sits on the Operations Board of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and is an Honorary Commander in the Royal Navy.

In 2018 she became the first Chair the World Sailing Trust a World Sailing initiative looking at Marine Health, Youth Development and Access.[26]

In 2021 she was BRIT Ambassador championing the BRIT 2021 Challenge a mental health charity.[27]

Publications

In September 2007, Caffari's autobiography Against the Flow was published by Adlard Coles Nautical.

In March 2009, Caffari's autobiography Against the Flow was re-published in paperback with an additional chapter charting the lead up to her Vendee Globe entry and subsequent world record achievement.

References
  1. "BBC NEWS – UK – England – Hampshire – Wrong-way sailor back on UK soil". bbc.co.uk. 21 May 2006.
  2. "Round-world record for sailor Dee Caffari". Independent.co.uk. 23 October 2011.
  3. "Samantha Davies and Dee Caffari race alone". www.yachtonline.it. Archived from the original on 27 January 2011.
  4. "BBC South Sports Personality of the Year". BBC. 2 December 2006.
  5. "An MBE for Dee". 27 October 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  6. "Dee Caffari (GBR)".
  7. "Dee Caffari will lead 'Turn the Tide on Plastic' boat in 2017–18". Volvo Ocean Race. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  8. "Dee Caffari". Team SCA.
  9. "History". Barcelona World Race. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  10. "E48 AVIVA, GBR 222". www.histoiredeshalfs.com.
  11. "Aviva Challenge: Caffari triumphs as first woman to complete solo non-stop round-the-world voyage against prevailing winds and currents". 17 May 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  12. "News – The Round Britain and Ireland record for Dee Caffari – Vendée Globe – En". www.vendeeglobe.org.
  13. World, Yachting (13 June 2007). "Caffari completes Round Britain and Ireland". Yachting World.
  14. https://www.histoiredeshalfs.com/Histoire%20des%2060%27/F10.htm
  15. "Transat Ecover BtoB, the Atlantic alone from Brazil to Brittany".
  16. World, Yachting (29 December 2004). "Airlift possible for sick crew". Yachting World.
  17. "Dee Caffari – Home". deecaffari.com.
  18. "Re-live Dee's journey". www.avivachallenge.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2006. Retrieved 3 August 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  19. "Dee Caffari, British sailing superstar". wideworldmag.com.
  20. "Aviva Ocean Racing: Dee Caffari and Aviva launch campaign for a new world first". Aviva Press Office. 11 January 2007. Archived from the original on 7 April 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  21. "Dee Caffari and Mike Golding form a technical alliance for the 2008 Vendée Globe". Aviva Ocean Racing. 20 March 2007. Archived from the original on 19 January 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  22. "Dee Caffari Interview". www.bbc.co.uk.
  23. Katherine Mackenzie (8 September 2018). "Maiden to embark on round-the-world voyage to raise awareness of the importance of girls' education". Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  24. "Patrons & Ambassadors – Sail 4 Cancer". www.sail4cancer.org. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  25. "Yachtswoman Dee Caffari becomes patron of Gosport and Fareham's independent lifeboat service". portsmouth.co.uk.
  26. "Associations".
  27. Packer, Phil (2 February 2021). "Inspirational & Record-Breaking Yachtswoman, Dee Caffari MBE, champions the BRIT 2021 Challenge". BRIT 2021 Challenge.
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