Dee Caffari

Denise "Dee" Caffari

Dee Caffari arrives in London at the end of the Vendée Globe race, 2009.
Personal information
Born	23 January 1973 (1973-01-23) (age 44)

Denise "Dee" Caffari MBE (born 23 January 1973) is a British sailor, and in 2006 became the first woman to sail single-handedly and non-stop around the world "the wrong way"; westward against the prevailing winds and currents. In February 2009, Caffari completed the Vendée Globe race and set a new record to become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop, around the world in both directions.

Descended from a Maltese sea captain, Caffari grew up in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire and attended St. Clement Danes School. Caffari studied at Leeds Metropolitan University and became a PE teacher for 5 years before beginning her sailing career.

Caffari trained at UKSA (based in Cowes, Isle of Wight) completing her Yachtmaster course and a range of ocean qualifications. Caffari then worked for Formula 1 Sailing, first as a skipper and then as the manager of their fleet of Farr 65s in the UK and the Caribbean.

She then took part in the ten-month Global Challenge race, which departed on 3 October 2004. Held every four years, this race takes a fleet of one design (or matching) steel yachts, crewed by amateur sailors who have paid to take part, round Cape Horn and through the Southern Ocean where winds can exceed 70 knots. That race also takes the westabout route.

Caffari was the skipper of the yacht Imagine It. Done. One 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.

On 20 November 2005, she set off on her attempt to single-handedly circumnavigate the world against the prevailing winds and currents. She finished on 18 May 2006, at 17:55pm, after 178 days at sea. Her voyage was sponsored by Aviva.

On 2 December 2006, she was a runner up for BBC South Sports Personality of the Year. She did win the Tenon Yachtsperson of the Year award.