Round the world sailing star Dee Caffari is now targeting Olympic success in Paris in 2024

Dee Caffari has sailed around the world six times.
Dee Caffari is targeting Olympic success in Paris in four years time. Picture: James Blake/Volvo Ocean RaceDee Caffari is targeting Olympic success in Paris in four years time. Picture: James Blake/Volvo Ocean Race
Dee Caffari is targeting Olympic success in Paris in four years time. Picture: James Blake/Volvo Ocean Race

The 47-year-old was the first woman to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions.

Based in Gosport, she remains the only woman to have sailed non-stop around the world three times.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Caffari has competed in the round the world Vendee Globe and two Volvo Ocean Races.

Now she has now set her sights on the Olympics.

She is aiming to compete in the 20224 Paris Games where the mixed offshore keelboat category will debut.

Caffari has teamed up with James Harayda and will fly the flag for Great Britain at the EUROSAF Mixed Offshore European Championship next month.

The pair were picked after a second-place finish in their SunFast 3300 Gentoo at the recent Drheam Cup, a 428-mile race starting and finishing in France.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘As soon as I heard that doublehanded keelboat sailing would be in the Olympics I knew I had to be involved,’ said Caffari. ‘It’s an exciting development for this class of sailing, and it plays to my strengths.

‘James and I got together quite last minute but he’s really impressed me and we’ve formed a really strong team.

‘We’re delighted to have been selected for the Europeans, and it’s a good step towards Paris 2024.’

Singapore-based Harayda, 22, is a graduate of the Royal Yachting Association’s British Keelboat Academy, a programme to support young sailors to develop their sailing skills to a professional standard.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Portsmouth’s Port Solent is on of the venues used for training, along with London, Weymouth and Cowes.

Like Caffari, he too has the Olympics in focus.

‘The ultimate goal is to win a medal at Paris, ideally a gold,’ he said. ‘Paris 2024 seems like a long way away but it’ll be here in a flash.

‘Dee and I have been very pragmatic about our future together – there are so many unknown variables that no-one knows what the best combination of people will be. But right now it’s working really well and we’re both really excited.’

Caffari and Harayda were chosen by the selection committee of Stacey Clark (RYA representative on the World Sailing Offshore and Oceanic Committee), Ian Walker (RYA Director of Racing) and Jack Fenwick (RYA Keelboat Development Manager).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Walker won two Olympic sailing silvers in 1996 and 2000, the latter alongside Hayling Islander Mark Covell.

The 2020 Mixed Offshore European Championship will be held in Genoa, Italy, and will consist of a single, 45-hour offshore race beginning on September 3.

Racing will take place in identical L30 yachts supplied by the regatta organisers.