Dee Caffari has sailed around the world five times. She is the first woman to have sailed single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions and the only woman to have sailed non-stop around the world a total of three times.
In 2006 Dee became the first woman to sail solo, non-stop, around the world against the prevailing winds and currents and was awarded an MBE in recognition of her achievement.
Now Dee has set herself a new challenge. Read on to hear all about what she and the rest of the Turn the Tide on Plastic team will be undertaking during the Volvo Ocean Race.
"I am skippering Turn the Tide on Plastic, a multinational youth orientated mixed team, in the longest most competitive professional sporting event in the world - the Volvo Ocean Race.
Our campaign is dedicated to raising awareness around the issue of ocean health and has a strong sustainability message. We will be racing 45,000 nautical miles around the world, taking in 12 host cities on six continents. Leaving from Alicante on 22 October 2017 we will stop at Lisbon, Cape Town, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Auckland, Itajaí, Newport, Cardiff and Gothenburg before a big finish in The Hague at the end of June 2018.
Our challenge is to be as competitive on the water as possible. We are the first truly mixed crew to take part in this race and are predominantly made up of under 30 sailors, many of whom have not sailed around the world before. I am proud to lead a team that has no gender divide and, I know that regardless of experience, my crew will be pushing as hard as possible out on the water.
We are also trying to encourage people to think about their interaction with single use plastics and make changes in their behaviours. If we all make a small change then together we can make a big difference.
Life onboard is intense. At times, it can be cold, wet and miserable for days on end. We have no bathroom and changing clothes is a luxury. Personal management is essential and skin care is of paramount importance, especially in a salt-water environment. Biodegradable baby wipes and barrier creams help but I have to say that Runderwear makes a huge difference and helps avoid that spotty botty that can plague an offshore sailor!"
