Barcelona World Race - Tasman Sea beckons for Caffari and Corbella

by Coralie Rassinoux on 18 Feb 2011 Barcelona World Race update from Gaes Centros Auditivos.

Record breaking yachtswoman, Dee Caffari, and her Spanish co skipper Anna Corbella will be exiting the south Indian Ocean later this evening as they start the climb north through the Tasman Sea towards the Cook Straits. The route will take Gaes Centos Auditivos close to where the Imoca Open 60 was built in the New Zealand capital city of Wellington just over three years ago. However, before Gaes Centros Auditivos can have sight of ‘home’, the all female duo must tackle the varied conditions expected in the Tasman Sea. Closest race rivals Andy Meiklejohn & Wouter Verbraak aboard Hugo Boss have opted for a more inshore route hugging tight into the most southerly point of Australia.

Earlier this morning, Caffari reported on the weekend the girls were anticipating:

'We are enjoying our final few hours of downwind sailing before we start a long upwind session out into the Tasman Sea. It seems the Indian Ocean has a final goodbye push for us with a large depression boosting us from its clutches into the Tasman Sea over the weekend as we make our way to the Cook Strait between the North and South Island of New Zealand. The next focus is then on getting boat and crew safely through the Pacific Ocean, still one step at a time and we must deal with the Tasman first.'

Elsewhere in the Barcelona World Race, Virbac-Paprec 3 made their second technical pit stop which meant staying a mandatory 48 hours in Wellington. Despite the imposed length of time in port, they will still be leaving the New Zealand capital city later today ahead of second and third placed Mapfre and Estrella Damm. Groupe Bel, who currently lies in fourth place, are the only other team to officially announce that they plan a stop in Wellington for essential repairs to their Imoca Open 60. At the 0900hrs ranking today, Caffari and Corbella onboard Gaes Centros Auditivos were in ninth place, 211 miles behind Andy Meiklejohn & Wouter Verbraak on Hugo Boss.

Aviva has been a longstanding supporter of Dee Caffari and her inspirational record breaking sailing achievements, assisting her to three world records including becoming the first woman to sail solo, non stop, around the world in both directions. As Founding Partner of Caffari’s sailing campaign, Aviva is pleased to extend this support to Corbella and Gaes for the Barcelona World Race.

Ranking on 18/02/2011 at 09:01:08 GMT: click here

Barcelona World Race website
Gaes Centros Auditivos website
Anna Corbella´s website
Dee Caffari´s website