Caffari announces team mates

Some familar names joining newbie Open 60 yachtswoman this season

Record-breaking yachtswoman, 34-year old, Dee Caffari has enlisted yacht racing expert Nigel King (read about Nigel here) and weather router Mike Broughton as herv Aviva Ocean Racing campaign prepares for a summer of competitive racing.

Caffari's successful transition to the Open 60 class will require expertise from a range of trainers that Caffari refers to as her ‘knowledge bank’. She is looking to learn from King’s experience to further develop her Open 60 race tactics and boat handling in the lead up to the 2008/9 Vendée Globe. King has a strong background in this class, demonstrated in 2006 when he set the current race record in the IMOCA St Nazaire/St Malo Race with Mike Golding and Laurent Mahy.

In addition to King’s extensive knowledge across a number of classes, ranging from the Volvo Ocean Race to Olympic trials, regular outings on the water will play a major role in developing Caffari as an Open 60 race skipper. He will also be part of her crew for the Calais Round Britain Race in June 2007.

Caffari’s full crew for the Calais Round Britain race starting on 3 June will be:
Dee Caffari - British, skipper of Aviva
Nigel King - British, yacht racing expert and Open 60 trainer
Liz Wardley - Papua New Guinea, professional sailor
Simon Clarke - British, professional sailor and former captain of Hugo Boss
Laurent Mahy - Belgian, sail designer for North Sails and professional sailor

Caffari has also announced that Mike Broughton will be sailing alongside her in the two-handed Fastnet Race starting on the 12th August 2007. Broughton has stayed with the team from the Aviva Challenge, when he successfully worked with Caffari to navigate around the world against the prevailing winds and currents. The Fastnet will be a valuable training exercise for Caffari in a race scenario onboard with her weather routing expert.