Solo-Around-Nonstop - Dee Caffari/Aviva www.avivachallenge.com - zur Übersicht 26 April 2006 The Doldrums greet Dee on return to Northern hemisphere In Brief · Only 3,190 miles to go · Equator celebrations are dampened by Doldrums · Notorious equatorial calms reduce average speed to 2.8 knots Summary Dee crossed the equator last night and described it as, “the slowest and most painful” of all four crossings she has made in the last two years, but quickly added that in terms of milestones it, “feels like a bigger step forward than ever before.” She has been alone at sea for 156 days and has sailed just over 25,500 miles since the Aviva Challenge began. Now only 3,190 miles separate her from the finish line and world-first that she is fighting so hard for, but the Doldrums are dampening celebrations in the Atlantic. Dee’s average speed has dropped to 2.8 knots and the immediate outlook does not look good for a fast passage through the notorious equatorial calms. Weather forecaster Mike Broughton said: "There is no such thing as an easy path through the Doldrums and they are looking particularly wide at the moment. Technological advancements in the last 15 years have made it easier to find the optimum crossing point, and we have been using four different types of satellite data in conjunction with routing software and previous experience. However, the Doldrums are a moving target and the situation can change rapidly so there is a real danger that Dee will get stuck." To add to the frustration of edging north in light winds and battling for every mile, Dee has described the searing heat currently making life onboard uncomfortable: “Imagine being at the hottest place on the planet, with the sun beating down on you and its reflection glaring up at you from all around. Your home is a steel shell that too heats up under the suns rays. The floor is too hot to walk on and the water to drink is kept in the tanks at sea level. With the sea surface temperature reaching 29 degrees this drinkable water is tepid and tastes pretty grim but is essential to cope with the amount of fluid being lost through perspiration. “Your natural fan has as good as stopped so not only cannot generate a breeze to cool you down but also is no longer able to move your home along to allow you to move away from the oppressive heat and conditions you find yourself in. That was how my afternoon felt.” Back on land the shore team have begun preparations for her arrival at the end of a remarkable marathon voyage. They have confirmed that once she crosses the finish line between Ushant, France and The Lizard, UK, she will make her way to Ocean Village in Southampton, UK. Messages are already flooding in to the website from all over the world and the excitement is building for her return which is currently looking likely to be sometime in mid-May. Updates will be posted nearer the time on www.avivachallenge.com. Quick Links NEW AVIVA CHALLENGE PODCAST NOW LIVE – Listen to Elaine Bunting of Yachting World magazine talk to Dee as she approaches the Northern hemisphere: http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=32 Read Dee’s latest diary: http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=6 Send Dee a message: http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=10 Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE