Dee Caffari set to breeze in to Perth for colourful talk

Jan 8 2010 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

DARING round-the-world yachtswoman Dee Caffari will talk about the secrets of her astonishing success in Perth.

The inspirational English sailor will be giving an illustrated talk at the Concert Hall on Tuesday, the latest in a popular series of Fair City events organised by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS).

In 2006, Ms Caffari (36), who was raised, ironically, in land-locked Hertfordshire, became the first woman to sail solo and non-stop around the world against prevailing winds and currents.

Last year she completed the Vendée Globe single-handed, round-the-world yacht race and also smashed the round Britain and Ireland mono-hull speed record.

Entitled ‘Against the Flow’, her colourful tales are one of the highlights of RSGS’s ‘Inspiring People’ programme.

The charity’s chief executive Mike Robinson yesterday enthused about the pioneering role model’s impending Perth visit.

“2010 is the international year of the seafarer, so it is fantastic to kick off this year’s talks with one of the most successful sailors of the last decade,” he declared.

“Dee is an inspiring speaker and a remarkable woman, and I look forward to hearing her bring her many stories and adventures to life.”

Ms Caffari’s talk starts at 7.30pm on Tuesday in Perth Concert Hall, a stone’s throw from the RSGS’s own premises in nearby North Port.