After another steady night onboard Aviva, co-skippers Dee Caffari and Nigel King are on course to join the frontrunners in the doldrums later today. Ahead of this notoriously testing challenge, Dee took time to reflect on her learnings in the race so far.
After another steady night onboard Aviva, co-skippers Dee Caffari and Nigel King are on course to join the frontrunners in the doldrums later today. Ahead of this notoriously testing challenge, Dee took time to reflect on her learnings in the race so far: "Am I sailing outside my comfort zone? Am I getting the experience I need to progress further along the Aviva Ocean racing Campaign? What have I learnt so far?
"All questions I have been asked either to my face or behind my back and I can honestly answer all three questions in an extremely positive way. Over the course of the two weeks of racing so far I have been sailing in light conditions and also in conditions that made me feel uncomfortable. Sailing under spinnaker in a big sea with a building breeze was quite nerve racking on my scale and I have never pushed a spinnaker that hard before. However when we eventually decided on how we were going to get the sail down, we then had all sorts of traumas to overcome and the spinnaker arrived on deck in three separate pieces after both Nigel and I being tested and a knife being used. Did I learn anything, yes, heaps!
"I grew in confidence in helming the boat in such conditions that meant that we could keep the spinnaker for longer and also when sail cloth was flogging everywhere I knew what to do when and how. The survival instinct cuts in but also builds your confidence for the future.
"Just yesterday we were sailing with the lighter spinnaker at a boat speed of twenty knots and that was well outside the spinnakers range but we had no choice as the other lay resting in the sail locker. The buzz and adrenaline was awesome. I was also acutely aware that we could not afford to lose this spinnaker at this stage of the race. The pressure was on and I was enjoying it. I was sure that I made Nigel nervous until I realised he was asleep. That was some confidence he had in me, that's for sure.
"So now my confidence is growing and I am at the point where I need to leave the nest and explore the big bad world of solo Open 60 sailing for myself. You learn from mistakes and each time we have both been involved in a manoeuvre we have followed it by a discussion on how I will do that on my own.
"Trusting the equipment is imperative and in some conditions I find this easy and in others I still find myself pinned to the helm unable to do anything but hang on. This is where my concern lies for the solo race home but what I know from past experience of sailing alone is that when you only have yourself to rely on, you would be surprised at just what you can achieve and how far you can push yourself. Have we sailed fast? I can confidently say yes and that I am happy with the boat sailing fast, now I just need to make sure we go in the right direction.
"The biggest impact is the speed of the boats and how much mileage can be covered so easily. That said when we keep a look out suddenly my horizon has closed in. If I am sailing at 12 knots and the cargo ship is approaching at 14 knots our closing speed is fast and looking at the horizon and not seeing anything only now gives me the confidence to snooze for ten minutes at a time. The steepest learning curve of my career so far will inevitably be climbed on my way back home in just a week or so, but this race with Nigel is really giving me the confidence to cross the start line again.
"When I began the Aviva Challenge I had no idea about solo sailing and learnt by trial and error during the first few weeks. At this competitive level in the IMOCA 60 world I need to be ready from day one so these shorter sprint races are ideal times to learn from mistakes, establish systems and routines that work for me and most importantly enjoy the sailing so next time I can push a little harder."
Aviva is currently in 13th position and 500 miles behind race leaders Foncia.
To follow Caffari and King's progress in the Transat Jacques Vabre race and to view Dee's video diary entries log on to www.avivaoceanracing.com.
To receive Dee's diary, via the RSS feed visit http://www.avivaoceanracing.com/rss.
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For further information contact:
Caroline Ayling
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7202 2840
Mobile: +44 (0)7801 351950
E-mail: carolinea@karen-earl.co.uk
Kelly Russell
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7202 2862
Mobile: +44 (0)7785 516570
E-mail: kellyr@karen-earl.co.uk
Notes to editors:
All skippers taking part in the 2007 race signed the Transat Jacques Vabre Charter for Sustainable Development. The five main aims of the Charter are:
- Promote the values of sailing
- Reduce the ecological footprint of the Transat Jacques Vabre event
- Encourage everyone involved to commit towards creating a responsible event
- Encourage the public to engage with the challenges of sustainable development
- Develop the local dynamics and North-South relations.
Aviva plc
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- Further information on Dee Caffari and her Aviva Ocean Racing campaign can be found at www.avivaoceanracing.com
- Further information on Nigel King can be found at www.nigelkingyachting.com/