Now thirty three years of age, Dee Caffari spent her childhood on the water. She sailed with her father from a very early age and quickly became passionate about the sea. She became a sailing instructor at university and then began a career as a P.E. teacher at a secondary school.

This Imoca monohull has gone by a number of other names prior to Aviva, this Finot/Conq 60’ originally designed for the Around Alone and the Vendée Globe as Mike Golding’s Team Group 4.

Aviva GBR 111 Position awaiting Tow in Atlantic British Warship Northumberland on stand by It has been 30 hours since Aviva was dismasted and I am still bobbing around in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The good news is that the weather has improved. The sky has cleared the rain has stopped and the wind has abated. The swell is still at large and the relentless rolling onboard Aviva is uncomfortable to say the least.

Naval frigate, HMS Northumberland has lent its support to the rescue of Dee Caffari following the dismasting of Aviva yesterday morning. The Naval Frigate learnt of Caffari’s difficulties from Falmouth coast guard whilst en-route back from the Mediterranean for Christmas leave. The Commanding Officer, Martin Simpson, sent a message directly to Caffari onboard Aviva that they were 85 nautical miles away and able to make a small alteration course to offer assistance until a tug arrives today...

Day Ninteen Report @ 2233hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 41 19.6N 14 28.5W COG 065 SOG 12.1 A wet, windy and wild day sailing today. Covering the miles at these speeds is great and makes the reality of finishing much greater. It has definitely been a race of all sorts and has tested me to the limit both mentally and physically

Day Eighteen Report @ 2217hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 38 31.7N 20 46.7W COG 067 SOG 16.8 The wind arrived, the waves picked up and we were off. Surfing at speeds of up to 20 knots it was a relief. ..

Day Seventeen Report @ 2310hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 36 40.8N 25 23.1W COG 063 SOG 6.8 After finally finding some breeze and closing a little distance to the finish line for once I was becalmed once more. As the sun set the wind died and I was left wallowing in the swell...

Day Sixteen Report @ 2309hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 35 08.6N 27 16.9W COG 042 SOG 8.1 Finally, we are moving and as the day has developed the movement has even been in the right direction...

Day Fourteen Report @ 2253hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 32 06.0N 27 33.3W COG anywhere SOG nowhere Worked really hard going nowhere all day and did it very well. It seems that I am to continue to float overnight as well.

Day Thirten Report @ 2216hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 30 06.0N 27 51.8W COG 003 SOG 10.5 My boat speed has increased but that has taken all day to make happen. I am relieved to see I am not alone..

Day Twelve Report @ 2314hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 27 07.5N 27 05.1W COG 349 SOG 5.2 An unbelievable day! Absolute rubbish! I spent most of the day going nowhere and it has been extremely frustrating. Twice I have got moving, a brief spell at lunchtime and then this is as fast as it gets at the moment....

Day Eleven Report @ 2328hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 25 25.7N 27 30.1W COG 035 SOG 10 The sea state eased and the wind eased and the jobs were ticked off the list. Sails were re hoisted and we are off again. The sun still felt warm today and I peeled off some layers once again...

Day Ten Report @ 2344hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 21 26.3N 28 51.6W COG 023 SOG 11.6 Still there is very little let up in the wind or the waves and my jobs list continues to get longer. Each weather file I get tells me the break in the weather will be in twelve hours...

Day Nine Report @ 2245hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 16 41.2N 29 53.6W COG 023 SOG 11.0 Not much has changed it is still wet and windy but at least allowing us to get north quickly. I am currently level with the north of the Cape Verde Islands...

Day Eight Report @ 0307hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 12 53.7N 29 38.2W COG 357 SOG 11.0 After a miserable 24 hours crashing to windward in 18 – 24 knots of breeze I decided that I was a broken person and called the shore team to tell them how miserable life was....

Aviva GBR 111 Position 7 55.5N 30 09.5W COG 029 SOG 10.0 On the wind and some big waves too. I mustn’t let the sun and blue sky and fluffy clouds fool me. On deck it is wet and bouncy, but finally...

Day Six Report @ 0002hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 4 38.6N 30 04.9W COG 341 SOG 7.1 I am now in the clutches of the doldrums. The black clouds roll overhead, beast Aviva and I with hail, wind and rain, then leave us with nothing...

Day Five Report @ 2342hrs UT Aviva GBR 111 Position 0 58.1N 31 07.6W COG 054 SOG 11.6 A much happier day onboard Aviva for me....

This is definitely the most challenging thing I have ever done but I am hanging on and getting better at it.

Aviva GBR 111 Position 3 41.8S 32 54.1W COG 056 SOG 15.5 I have just passed Fernando de Noronha and today is the first time I feel that I have been in the same conditions as the rest of the fleet as my boat speeds were similar. Tonight has been difficult with lots of squally clouds.....

Aviva GBR 111 Position 8 21.5S 34 31.7W COG 046 SOG 10.9 A confidence finding day as I had to unfurl the Genniker as the wind finally lifted me past Recife so I could crack sheets and sail at a pace similar to those ahead....

Day One Report @ 0019hrs UTC Aviva GBR 111 Position 11 06.1S 36 02.7W COG 063 SOG 9.0 After the frustrations of yesterday I have settled into my life alone onboard Aviva.

Day One Aviva GBR 111 Position 13 05.5S 37 55.4W COG 048 SOG 8.6 A difficult start for Aviva and I. The furling line broke and I couldn’t furl the Code 0 away. I bore away to reduce the pressure but was running out of sea room....