Good weather for gardeners

TheDailySail's Andy Nicholson is there for Dee Caffari's arrival

In Dee Caffari’s press conference, shortly after her well scheduled arrival back in Ocean Village Southampton, one word resonates from her English southern counties accent: ‘Buoyant’.

A good size crowd had gathered to welcome her back into Ocean Village in what can only be described as a PR’s worse nightmare – monsoon like early summer weather. Note to self – umbrellas v.good marketing give away if timing/event right.

Caffari’s return begged an obvious comparison with MacArthur’s – something about singlehanded women sailors seem to get the OB trucks out. The schedule was laid down in ten minute intervals, a Royal welcome was organised along with all the razzamatazz that Chay Blyth’s Challenge Business can put on in the perfect amphitheatre of Ocean Village.

If there is one thing that can spoil a good party, that is the English weather. Windy, gusty, grey, howling, soaked, inside out umbrellas – this was the scene in Ocean Village just an hour from Caffari’s arrival. Attendance and ‘buoyancy’ was low. If you didn’t have the top level of foul weather gear you weren’t even a player at Dee’s arrival.

But in some way this made sense.

Those that had braved the elements fell into three groups – the big extended family that made it feel like a wedding (family, friends, sponsors, Challenge crews), the die hard follower of every log of the skippers voyage who had made the pilgrimage, and the person kicking around with not much else to do. The latter group numbered in the tens and perhaps made any ‘head count’ comparison irrelevant because they simply don’t count.

A couple of ‘senior’ ladies had taken up prime position on the dock opposite to where Aviva was to dock. One a friend from Caffari’s father’s yacht club who had followed her every day on the internet. The other clutches Chay Blyth’s book Impossible Voyage.

I decline an offer to see Chay’s signature close up and risk an ink run in the driving rain but enquire why the book has been brought. “To get Dee to sign it too” the lady replies - and I would suggest that she will not have left Southampton until she had.

Caffari seems to have captured a lot of imaginations with her voyage and in her words ‘wanted to take people with her on her voyage.’



Speaking to one television news station anchor we were keen to find out the ‘value’ (a crude media term) of her arrival: Sky News, BBC News 24, ITV Meridian, ITV National, and BBC South were all in attendance with TV crews and equipment. One scout around the car park and 4 satellite dishes were counted.

More intriguing was why? In order of magnitude for the network news editors: solo sailing (easy to understand), woman, and first. It was a positive story.

Dee’s arrival was broadcast on a big (obviously weatherproof) video wall with live broadcast from the water back to the pontoons. A helicopter noisily clattered overhead beaming pictures back that were being displayed in front of the swelling, yellow clad crowd.

The PA crackles with a priceless line: ‘We are very close now; Dee appears to be doing her hair…’

We all cheered. It was important to cheer, we had made the effort to be there in the miserable conditions and our victor was visibly overjoyed with the welcome that greeted her.

Cue confetti bombs, champagne and HRH Princess Anne.



Into the press conference and the stage is shrouded by six TV cameras. Dee arrives with the buoyant confidence that only five people could ever have had – the five that have sailed singlehanded, around the world, the wrong way. Caffari is the first ever woman to achieve this feat.

She is with out doubt a sponsors dream. In touch with the man and woman on the street, completely at ease with whatever The Times can throw at her; and a smart, well presented package.

Some interesting and informative conversation ensues. Lines like “I had never sailed single handed before setting off”, and “I learnt as I went along”, and “travelling around on the Global Challenge last time” make me really sit up and listen.

Caffari really did go through the mill. She may have had precedents, she may have had Iridium phones and email but what makes all of these types of endeavours ‘true’ is Nature with a capital N, and shit hitting the fan.

A ‘highlight’ was when she spent three days in an ice field – with no less than five icebergs in visual for the entire time. And this just days after being forced south in 50 knots of wind in the Southern Ocean.

Tales of equipment breakages will be recounted in the monthly yachting press – but Caffari was in no way hiding the fact that she relied hugely on her shore team to take her from the basics of ‘How to use a multi-meter’ to the complex ‘How to fix an a
autopilot for the x zillionth time.’

Of course she has made the ‘never separate me from my boat bond’ – Aviva even got a kiss on arrival into Ocean Village. But she also has an enormous following of supporters that she took virtually around the world with her on board Aviva.

One gentlemen sporting a rather substantial umbrella was a good target: “Why are you here to see Dee in?” Answer: “Well I was dragged down here by the wife and I am not happy being here in the *issing rain – even though I am a gardener.”

Caffarri has inspired thousands and achieved a world first. When quizzed whether she would encourage another woman to challenge her time she was full of enthusiasm: “Whatever I can do to bring someone to attempt this I will.” How would she feel if her time was beaten? “I will always be the first” was her answer.

And a last word for Ocean FM listeners in case you missed your man at the live broadcast: “Dee, what have you missed the most while away?”

Caffari: “I am not a bath person, but would love to have a nice warm bubble bath.”