Caffari and Aviva at the front of the pack

by Caroline Ayling on 6 Jun 2007
Caffari and her crew have kept Aviva moving in the light winds overnight to maintain fifth place in Calais Round Britain Race.

The lead boats have created two distinct groups in the fleet with Caffari at the front of the chasing pack. Aviva is currently the leading British boat. The forecast is for light winds, which will make it tough for Caffari to maintain her position considering the boat’s age and design.

Caffari’s Diary - Received at 03.45 hrs Tuesday Morning:

‘It was great to see the position reports arrive throughout today and see how much our hard work had paid off. Despite the fog and fickle winds we really tried hard to get the right sail for the wind we had and prayed that we could keep the boat moving as good as the rest of the fleet. Frog, (Laurent Mahy) the sail maker, has been doing a great job of making us get the best from our sails. Chook (Liz Wardley) has a dogged determination to make sure we are making the best use of the current and wind that is forecast. She has also tirelessly prepared her foredeck meticulously to ensure we have repeated sail changes take place without incident.

‘Hugo (Simon Clarke) has been paying attention to our power usage and making sure we continue to have power as well as probably coiling hundreds of kilometres of rope after each sail change. Then there is Nigel, Flame proof pants, King. He has talked non stop since the start but is clearly having an effect because we are all communicating and talking about the right subject, what else can we do to make our boat, Aviva, go fast.

‘Great gang and doing a great job, but something tells me this is going to be a long race around the British Isles!’

Dee, Chook, Frog, Pants and Hugo

Aviva Ocean Racing Summary

After setting a world record last year sailing around the world against the prevailing winds and currents, Caffari is one of the newest recruits to the highly competitive world of Open 60 racing. The Calais Round Britain Race is her first step on a very steep learning curve towards achieving her ambition of competing in the Vendée Globe 2008/9 and becoming the first woman to sail around the world, solo, in both directions.

Calais Round Britain Race

Starting and finishing in Calais, the race is 1850 nautical miles around the British coastline, featuring some of the world’s most technical waters with ever-changing weather conditions, tidal flows and adverse land effects. Extra vigilance is needed to keep a watchful eye out for shipping and other obstructions, such as oil rigs in the North Sea, throughout this race.

There are 11 entries and the front runners are expected to take between six to seven days to complete the course. In a change from normal Open 60 racing the boats will be crewed by five people rather than solo or double-handed.

For this race Caffari’s full crew will be:

Dee Caffari - skipper of Aviva (British)
Nigel King - experienced yacht racing coach (British)
Liz Wardley - professional sailor on Figaro circuit (Papua New Guinea)
Simon Clarke -professional sailor and former boat captain of Hugo Boss (British)
Laurent Mahy - sail designer for North Sails and professional sailor (Belgian)

www.avivaoceanracing.com