Dee Caffari is back on the water – this time in her first Open 60 race on the long road towards the Vendee Globe 2008. Sailing with a crew of four, Caffari has kept Aviva moving in the light winds overnight to maintain fifth place in Calais Round Britain Race, but the light-wind forecast will make it tough for her to maintain that position considering the boat’s age and design.

Here’s Dee’s diary so far:

‘It was great to see the position reports arrive throughout today and see how much our hard work had paid off. Despite the fog and fickle winds we really tried hard to get the right sail for the wind we had and prayed that we could keep the boat moving as good as the rest of the fleet. Frog, (Laurent Mahy) the sail maker, has been doing a great job of making us get the best from our sails. Chook (Liz Wardley) has a dogged determination to make sure we are making the best use of the current and wind that is forecast. She has also tirelessly prepared her foredeck meticulously to ensure we have repeated sail changes take place without incident.

‘Hugo (Simon Clarke) has been paying attention to our power usage and making sure we continue to have power as well as probably coiling hundreds of kilometres of rope after each sail change. Then there is Nigel, Flame proof pants, King. He has talked non stop since the start but is clearly having an effect because we are all communicating and talking about the right subject, what else can we do to make our boat, Aviva, go fast.

‘Great gang and doing a great job, but something tells me this is going to be a long race around the British Isles!’

Dee, Chook, Frog, Pants and Hugo