10.05.2006
Thoughts of home for Caffari with only 1,250 miles to go
Days at sea: 170
Distance to finish: 1,250 miles
Position: Halfway between Madeira and the Azores
Current conditions: North-westerly winds around 18 knots, veering to the west a little later today and reducing in strength
Dee and Aviva are currently on course to cross the finish line sometime between 17th and 20th May.
Latest News
Dee Caffari has just 1,250 miles separating her from the finish line of an extraordinary circumnavigation against the prevailing winds and currents, and unsurprisingly thoughts of life on dry land are appearing in the solo sailor’s daily diary.
In what she calls the “next stage” after life at sea, Dee mentions “supermarket shopping, driving at a speed faster than 9 knots (11mph), making more than one cup of tea and having other people involved in our lives everyday,” as some of the challenges lying ahead. “I think that some of the funniest stories are yet to come and I will be sharing these first few days on land with you by continuing my daily log,” she added.
At the start of this week Dee passed the Canaries after a morale-boosting weekend in steady winds making fast progress, but once again she did not see any land. In fact, the solo sailor has only seen land twice during her marathon voyage, once as she rounded the Cape of Good Hope and again when she passed New Zealand. The next land Dee sees could well be the English coast when she approaches the official finish line between The Lizard, UK and Ushant, France.
Personal Coach Harry Spedding said on Monday: “After a bitter struggle with the Doldrums she has made great speed north, and this has lifted her spirits. She can actually visualise crossing the finish line, and entering port for the first time.”
But she is not just preparing for the homecoming only in her mind, there are physical considerations too. “She has been working on one aspect that will be difficult for her,” added Harry. “Walking. Over the last 6 months Dee has had a possible maximum walking distance of 73 feet. Her hamstrings have shortened, and without good stretching exercises she would really struggle when she gets home … With the finish in sight Dee is now stretching more often. After all, she is keen to be able to walk off the dock to celebrate being home!”
Weather
“There’s a weak ridge of high pressure covering a massive area from 600 miles to the south-west of Madeira all the way up to Lisbon,” explains Aviva Challenge weather forecaster Mike Broughton, “ so Dee has routed round the western side of this huge potential ‘parking zone’ of little wind. It looks like our plan is coming together well now as we’ve got into winds on the western side of the ridge as a result of heading northwest in anticipation of this last week”
Looking ahead…
“By Thursday we’ll be digging into the winds from a very large and complex low-pressure system in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This low is interesting because it is a double-centred low-pressure system. The two systems are dancing around each other, eventually forming one huge system that will cover most of the mid-Atlantic.
“Looking to the early part of next week we may have one of Dee’s not-so-favourite weather systems that made life so very hard for her in the Southern Ocean – a secondary low-pressure system. It looks like it could spin off from the area of the Azores and creep up behind Dee, bringing 40 knots plus of wind. While this will not compare to the brutal weather she experienced in the Southern Ocean, it will certainly be a small sting in the tail as the finish line approaches.
“The good news of course is that this won’t unsettle Dee too much. As a refreshing change from much of her journey, this time the wind will be coming from behind her.”
Links
Read Dee’s latest log:
http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=6
Information about Dee’s homecoming now live:
http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=62
Send Dee a message:
http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=10
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