Dee Caffari MBE

Yachtswoman Dee Caffari has sailed into the record books – three times. In May 2006, Dee became the first woman to sail solo around the world the wrong way (against the prevailing winds and currents). It's an extraordinary achievement. Only four men have ever completed this grueling route before; more people have walked on the moon. In recognition of her first world record, Dee was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday honors list.

Never one to stay in her comfort zone, Dee announced her goal to become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop around the world in both directions. Dee entered the highly competitive Open 60 racing world and faced a daunting task. She competed against the best international sailors in a race held every four years the right way around the world. After one of the most dramatic Vendée Globes ever (2008/09) – it’s not called ‘The Everest of the Seas’ for nothing – Dee crossed the finish line in February 2009 to international acclaim with another world-first.

Upon completing the Barcelona World Race in April 2011 with her co-skipper Anna Corbella, Dee became the only woman on earth to have sailed non-stop around the world three times. Dee Caffari MBE has proven herself to be a yachtswoman of the highest caliber, and many are amazed to learn she only began her sailing career in 2000.

In early 2013, Dee Caffari MBE once again led the only all-female crew in Sailing Arabia – The Tour (SATT). Established by Oman Sail, SATT is the first international sailing regatta to join the nations of the Gulf to race competitively in the region. For the 2013 Fastnet race, Dee joined an international crew on Oman Sail’s flagship ‘Oman Air Musandam,’ winning the multihull class. (Sailing with her was Raya Al Habsi, one of the original women in the Oman Sail Women’s program whom Dee has been coaching. Raya has been sailing for just three years).

In recognition of her service to the sea and Britain's maritime heritage as well as the charity ‘Toe in the Water,’ which encourages injured service men and women to sail, Dee Caffari MBE was appointed by the Royal Navy as an Honorary Commander in 2011.

With a passion for sport and exercise, Dee’s keen interest in health and high performance stems from her roots as a teacher. A strong desire to face and overcome challenges has led Dee into adventures outside the sailing environment too. One such challenge was leading a female team over 6500km of rugged terrain in the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge. The focus was to raise money for cancer charities, and Dee has since become the Patron for the charity Sail4Cancer. A love of the ocean and the British coastline has seen Dee become an Ambassador for the RYA Green Blue Campaign to help everyone reduce, reuse and recycle.

Without a doubt, one of Britain’s most inspirational women, Dee Caffari MBE is now an acclaimed international speaker. She tells her highly motivational story with great humor and insight. Her autobiography ‘Against the Flow’ is available in French, Italian, and German. Dee delivers something special. She can draw on her unique world records in offshore sailing and the many challenges she has faced to achieve high performance in competitive, risky, and tough environments. Dee shares her experience, insights, and personal lessons with authenticity, making her talks memorable and entertaining.

Speaker Topics:

• Resilience and courage in tough times
• Passion and self-belief to succeed
• Good communication and teamwork
• Embracing change and challenge
• High Performance: An insight into what it takes to achieve 3 world-firsts.
• Leadership

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If you’d like to book our motivational, after-dinner, keynote speaker Dee Caffari MBE, please contact one of our team members who will be happy to help you.