Aviva Ocean Racing on the 2009 Transat Jacques Vabre. Image copyright Mark Lloyd/Lloyd Images.
by Kelly Russell
As the IMOCA Open 60 fleet of the Transat Jacques Vabre head into the second week of racing, Dee Caffari and Brian Thompson, onboard Aviva are hoping to take advantage of the good conditions to gain some miles on the race leaders.
Having originally split into two distinct tactical groups, favouring either a northerly or southerly route, the Open 60 fleet are now converging as they head into the second third of the 4800 mile race.
The 10h00 race ranking positioned Dee Caffari and Brian Thompson, onboard Aviva, in seventh place, 324 miles behind race leader Safran.
Dee Caffari and Brian Thompson’s latest diary entry received on 15 November 2009 at 0610 GMT:
“Last night Brian and I decided to go out for dinner seeing as it was Saturday night. I wanted to go dancing to get my weekly fix of Strictly Come Dancing, but alas we chose dinner instead in the Azores. For an aperitif we had amazing views close up of the Islands Pico and Faial, this was followed by a starter of thunder and lightning squalls. For main we both chose a big wind shift and increase and then dessert really was the best bit, we had some fast reaching in the right direction. I really feel like we have just started the second phase of our race and one thing is for sure, the water that is buffeting at us endlessly on deck is definitely getting warmer.
“Brian has even decided to remove his boots with a look of pure ecstasy as he did so and has avoided the dreaded trench foot that I think is being rapidly progressed at the bottom of my boots!”
Aviva Ocean Racing
Transat Jacques Vabre
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