Caffari and co beat British Isles record

The all-woman crew of Dee Caffari, Samantha Davies, Miranda Merron and Alex Sizer yesterday knocked over 17 hours off the record for sailing non-stop round the British Isles, setting a new time of six days 11hrs 30min 53sec in the Caffari’s Open 60, Aviva.

The boat had been entered in the Calais Round Britain race, which was cancelled, inspiring the quartet to initiate the record attempt. Caffari and Davies had been rivals in last winter’s Vendee Globe non-stop round the world race. Merron, the navigator, had partnered Emma Richards in transatlantic races and Sizer is the boat captain.

They chose to take the anti-clockwise route, starting off Ventnor on the south of the Isle of Wight, and overcame some short spells of light air before benefitting from favourable westerlies all through the second half.

Said Davies: “We pushed ourselves and boat hard, but it was definitely worth it. I think I am almost as exhausted as I was after the Vendee Globe.”