Offshore-sailing Sensation, Dee Caffari


Interview by Beverley Byrne O


n 21st June 2006, Dee Caffari became the first woman to sail single handed, non-stop around the world – west about. Sailing “the wrong way round” against prevailing winds and currents, her gruelling voyage


would prove twice as long and twice as difficult as sailing east. So when television reports showed this attractive young woman arriving back in Southampton, standing on deck with her arms raised in triumph, it was no surprise to find the expression on her face revealing jubilation – and relief. Having spent 178 days alone at sea, Dee (who was awarded


the MBE for this achievement) could have been forgiven for taking things easy. But nothing could be further from her mind. In the past four years, together with taking part in land based sporting events such as the London marathon, she has embarked on a series of yacht races, including the Fastnet and the 2008 Vendée Globe, the only non-stop, round-the-world sailing race for single-handed sailors. When she limped across the finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne with the mainsail on Aviva held together with glue, she was in 6th place out of an original fleet of 30 competitors. She also became the first woman to sail solo, non- stop around the world in both directions. In June of the same year, Dee and an all-female crew went on to smash the mono-hull speed record around Britain and Ireland. Not surprisingly, since then Dee’s schedule has been as full as a spinnaker in a brisk wind. Recently arrived back in the UK after


a yacht delivery from Spain with Anna Corbella, who will be her co-skipper in the Barcelona World Race later this year, she was about to compete in the Artemis Challenge during Cowes week. But somehow, between meetings, preparations and practise, she found time to discuss her achievements, past and present. Dee is such an ebullient and loquacious companion, I can’t


think why she chose to pursue this lonely path into the record books – and why she intends to repeat the experience in the 2012 Vendée Globe. “At least this time, I know what I’m getting myself into,” she laughs. “Probably the most difficult element of that first solo journey was coming to terms with loneliness. I’d never sailed single handed before and I rather underestimated the effect it would have on me. I particularly missed nonverbal communication; watching people’s expressions and body language, seeing them smile. When I came home and started speaking to people, I’d stare straight at them because I’d realised how much more there was to communicating than mere speech. However, once back on terra firma, the natural woman in me took over and I’ve been talking ever since!” Dee may be joking but communication lies at the heart of


everything she does. Confident and highly motivated, I can see why, prior to her involvement in full time sailing, she’d been a popular sports teacher. Yet before discussing her previous career, I ask what initially inspired her love of boats. “My mum and dad had a boat on the Thames. It was our weekend retreat and during the summer holidays we spent weeks on the water. I was also my late father’s shadow. If he worked on the engines or walked round the marina, I’d be with him. To me this was far more interesting than hanging around with my friends. I was much happier on board the boat with my parents.” Dee was also a natural performer, as she reveals, “I loved sport but above all I was obsessed by ballet. I danced throughout my childhood and wanted to become a ballet dancer but when I played sport at a higher level, the two disciplines came into conflict. I chose to study sports science at Leeds Metropolitan University and after completing a postgraduate teacher training course, I took a job in a comprehensive school teaching eleven to eighteen year olds. I loved it all – from helping the tubby, unconfident child to take part to encouraging raw talent to break


22 YACHTWORLD.COM SepTeMbeR 2010


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