Dee Caffari
Born in Hertfordshire, 32-year-old Denise Caffari is a vivacious, bubbly individual with amazing spirit. Dee began her career as a Secondary School PE Teacher having qualified in Leeds, Yorkshire. She taught years 7 to 12, and tutored year 8. Her love of cheesy music and dance helped her when she was the co-producer in a school production of Grease.
Dee went from teaching to managing a Sports College. Everything from social programs, Health and Safety, to discipline and counseling came under her watchful eye. After five years of teaching, the bug to travel took hold. Some 6 months spent wind surfing in Barbados helped her decide that life on the water was the way ahead. Having qualified as a Water Sports Instructor and completed her sailing qualifications, Dee began working in the sailing industry. Her first job was to work for the accomplished British Sailor, Mike Golding and his company, Mike Golding Yacht Racing. Within three months she had taken charge as skipper of the 67-foot yacht, Group 4. The next 18 months saw the yacht’s program include offshore RORC races, a Fastnet race, and two trans-Atlantics.
Watching the 2000/01 BT Global Challenge Race start and finish in Southampton gave Dee the focus for where she wanted to be in four years time. A job with Formula 1 Sailing, first as a skipper and then as the manager of their fleet of Farr 65’s, both in the UK and the Caribbean, gave Dee 2 years experience of big boat racing and greater confidence in her seamanship.
Skipper selection for the race took over a year from completing the application form and sending it off. It was while she was working with Formula 1 Sailing that Dee received ‘the call’ and was offered the job as skipper.
The 10-month Global Challenge Race took 10 months preparation to build up to the departure day of October 3rd, 2004. This involved corporate hospitality sailing days with sponsors and guests, crew team development, and race preparations. The race saw many highlights and low lights. Dee was the skipper of the yacht whose crewmember needed to be airlifted off in the Southern Ocean creating the largest Southern Ocean Rescue of all time for the New Zealand Rescue Service. The race also saw the team develop from having to retire from the second leg of the race to finishing on the podium in leg six.
Half way around the world on the Global Challenge Race a seed was planted in her mind. To become the first solo female to circumnavigate the globe, non-stop, West about (against the prevailing winds and currents). Once she had successfully completed the race as the only female skipper, the seed had now grown somewhat and, with the help of her sponsor, that dream now became reality. Dee saw no reason why she should not repeat this tremendously difficult journey with just a couple of minor changes – no crew, no glamorous stopovers, and considerably less sleep! In November 2005 – the adventure began…………
The Aviva Challenge:
Dee is nearing the halfway mark on her tremendous solo journey around the World, the tough way. Her challenge began when she left Portsmouth in November 2005 with the intention of being the first female to sail non-stop West about the Globe. That dream is now looking more and more like reality for this plucky young lady. Dee has already had more than her fair share of danger, drama and excitement on this voyage. Her daily diary posted on the Aviva website has attracted a huge amount of interest from both the sailing and non sailing community – she is now receiving around 40 messages of support each day from well wishers.
Dee was thrilled to receive the following message recently:
"Congratulations on rounding Cape Horn and entering the Pacific again. With best wishes on behalf of the Royal Navy for the remainder of your journey"
-- First Sea Lord – Admiral Sir Alan West GCB DSC ADC --
**FEE NOTE** - Her fee will go up each month as she nears the end of her adventure. Please call our office to discuss her current fees.
Born in Hertfordshire, 32-year-old Denise Caffari is a vivacious, bubbly individual with amazing spirit. Dee began her career as a Secondary School PE Teacher having qualified in Leeds, Yorkshire. She taught years 7 to 12, and tutored year 8. Her love of cheesy music and dance helped her when she was the co-producer in a school production of Grease.
Dee went from teaching to managing a Sports College. Everything from social programs, Health and Safety, to discipline and counseling came under her watchful eye. After five years of teaching, the bug to travel took hold. Some 6 months spent wind surfing in Barbados helped her decide that life on the water was the way ahead. Having qualified as a Water Sports Instructor and completed her sailing qualifications, Dee began working in the sailing industry. Her first job was to work for the accomplished British Sailor, Mike Golding and his company, Mike Golding Yacht Racing. Within three months she had taken charge as skipper of the 67-foot yacht, Group 4. The next 18 months saw the yacht’s program include offshore RORC races, a Fastnet race, and two trans-Atlantics.
Watching the 2000/01 BT Global Challenge Race start and finish in Southampton gave Dee the focus for where she wanted to be in four years time. A job with Formula 1 Sailing, first as a skipper and then as the manager of their fleet of Farr 65’s, both in the UK and the Caribbean, gave Dee 2 years experience of big boat racing and greater confidence in her seamanship.
Skipper selection for the race took over a year from completing the application form and sending it off. It was while she was working with Formula 1 Sailing that Dee received ‘the call’ and was offered the job as skipper.
The 10-month Global Challenge Race took 10 months preparation to build up to the departure day of October 3rd, 2004. This involved corporate hospitality sailing days with sponsors and guests, crew team development, and race preparations. The race saw many highlights and low lights. Dee was the skipper of the yacht whose crewmember needed to be airlifted off in the Southern Ocean creating the largest Southern Ocean Rescue of all time for the New Zealand Rescue Service. The race also saw the team develop from having to retire from the second leg of the race to finishing on the podium in leg six.
Half way around the world on the Global Challenge Race a seed was planted in her mind. To become the first solo female to circumnavigate the globe, non-stop, West about (against the prevailing winds and currents). Once she had successfully completed the race as the only female skipper, the seed had now grown somewhat and, with the help of her sponsor, that dream now became reality. Dee saw no reason why she should not repeat this tremendously difficult journey with just a couple of minor changes – no crew, no glamorous stopovers, and considerably less sleep! In November 2005 – the adventure began…………
The Aviva Challenge:
Dee is nearing the halfway mark on her tremendous solo journey around the World, the tough way. Her challenge began when she left Portsmouth in November 2005 with the intention of being the first female to sail non-stop West about the Globe. That dream is now looking more and more like reality for this plucky young lady. Dee has already had more than her fair share of danger, drama and excitement on this voyage. Her daily diary posted on the Aviva website has attracted a huge amount of interest from both the sailing and non sailing community – she is now receiving around 40 messages of support each day from well wishers.
Dee was thrilled to receive the following message recently:
"Congratulations on rounding Cape Horn and entering the Pacific again. With best wishes on behalf of the Royal Navy for the remainder of your journey"
-- First Sea Lord – Admiral Sir Alan West GCB DSC ADC --
**FEE NOTE** - Her fee will go up each month as she nears the end of her adventure. Please call our office to discuss her current fees.
