ver the years I have often been asked how I
came to be where I am today. Young sailors
who are hungry to move into competitive
sailing seek advice on the steps they should
be taking to achieve their goals, whereas
journalists are more interested in fi nding out how a PE
teacher from Hertfordshire has ended up doing fi ve laps
of the planet (currently on her sixth) on the competitive
sailing circuit.
The catalyst for the change is, in part, down to the words
of my late father, who would listen to me talking
enviously about the feats I saw others achieving and
would ask me: “Well, are you going to talk about it or do
it?” He gave me the confi dence to step away from a more
conventional career.
My fantasy lifestyle at that time was to ski in the winter
and sail in the summer. After investigating opportunities,
I attended a water sports instructor course at the UK
Sailing Academy in Cowes and then continued to work
towards my
professional sailing
qualifi cations. As
any graduate will
tell you, having the
qualifi cations is all
well and good but
you also need practical hands-on experience.
I was offered a role with Mike Golding as crew on his
charter boat and three months later was promoted to
skipper. The two years I spent with Mike provided me with
a fantastic grounding. After working for a yacht charter
company in the Caribbean, I successfully applied to Sir
Chay Blyth’s Global Challenge Race and skippered a crew
of novices on my fi rst round the world race in 2004/5.
At the end of that race, Chay suggested I follow in his
footsteps and undertake what had once been termed the
impossible voyage: sailing solo non-stop around the
world against the prevailing winds and currents.
It is unusual to be able to complete a world fi rst, so I
jumped at the opportunity. I had never actually spent a
night alone at sea and yet, a few months after fi nishing the
Global Challenge, I set off on the same boat, on the same
route ... minus the 17 crew and any stops along the way!
I had never sailed solo and I had no idea how I wouldcope. However, after 178 days alone at sea, I set a world
record and became the fi rst woman to sail solo, non-stop,
the ‘wrong’ way around the world.
This was a pivotal moment in my career and made me
an attractive option for further sponsorship, enabling me
to compete in the Vendée Globe. I set off non-stop around
the world, but this time in the other direction and
competing against some of the world’s best sailors.Taking opportunities
This project was a whole new proposition and allowed me
to put together my own team to manage the process,
which included building a new boat. I quickly discovered
that sailing the right way round the world is a great deal
faster and I needed to adapt.
I loved every minute of the Vendée Globe and one of the
highlights was an email from sailing legend Michel
Desjoyeaux reminding me to turn left when I reached the
South Atlantic. I became the only female to sail single-
handed non-stop around the world in both directions.
During the Vendée Globe the fi nancial crisis took hold
and sponsorship became harder to obtain. For several
years it was a case of taking opportunities as they came up,
always with an eye on improving my skills and experience.
All the while I had my sights set on competing in the Volvo
Ocean Race and in 2014/15 I was invited to join the fi rst all
female crew taking part for more than a decade, Team SCA.
Having been an advocate of mixed-gender sailing, I was
delighted when the Volvo Ocean Race rule change came
into force incentivising the choice of female crew and was
determined to race again in the 2017/18 edition. The
universe seemed to have other ideas and I hit the buffers
ahead of this race. I became very despondent when I
wasn’t offered a trial with any of the existing teams.
Just when I thought I had no chance of competing in
this edition, I was asked to lead a fantastic sustainability
partnership sponsored team. The objective was to lead a
diverse and fully mixed team with a focus on sailors aged
under 30 of different nationalities.
Being skipper of Turn the Tide on Plastic is an absolute
privilege. When the time comes to hang up my racing
foulies, I hope to continue working on fantastic sailing
projects and contribute by managing, mentoring and
coaching the next generation of competitive sailors.DEE CAFFARI
I AM OFTEN ASKED HOW A PE TEACHER FROM HERTFORDSHIRE HAS ENDED UP
DOING FIVE LAPS OF THE PLANET, AND NOW ON MY SIXTH. THIS WAS MY JOURNEY‘Are you going to talk
about it or do it?’
O
22 February 2018