About

Dee Caffari MBE’s journey into professional sailing began with a bold career change. After five years as a secondary school Physical Education teacher, she stepped into the unknown to compete in the 2004 Global Challenge, as the only female skipper in the fleet. The race, which circumnavigated the globe the “wrong way” against the prevailing winds and currents, demanded resilience, leadership, and endurance. It proved to be a defining experience, laying the foundations for what would become an extraordinary career.

Just months later, Dee set off again and this time it was alone. In 2006, she made history as the first woman to sail solo, non-stop around the world against the prevailing winds and currents. This pioneering achievement earned her an MBE and established her as one of the leading figures in offshore sailing.

She continued to push boundaries. In 2009, Dee completed the Vendée Globe, the world’s toughest solo race, becoming the first woman to sail single-handed, non-stop around the world in both directions. Two years later, she added another milestone by finishing the Barcelona World Race, making her the only woman at the time to have completed three non-stop circumnavigations.

Dee’s career then evolved into the world of elite crewed racing. In 2014, she joined Team SCA, the all-female entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, where the team set a Round Britain and Ireland speed record for a female crewed monohull during training. She returned to the race in 2017-18 as skipper of Turn the Tide on Plastic, a campaign that combined high-performance racing with a powerful environmental message, raising global awareness of ocean plastic pollution.

In 2023, Dee joined The Famous Project as co-skipper alongside Alexia Barrier, leading an all-female team in pursuit of the Jules Verne Trophy. In January 2026, the team successfully completed their non-stop circumnavigation aboard the maxi trimaran IDEC Sport, becoming the first all-female crew to achieve this feat on a multihull. This milestone marked Dee’s seventh circumnavigation of the globe, with four completed non-stop.

Beyond racing, Dee has built a respected career as a presenter, producer, and motivational speaker, while also supporting a range of charitable and environmental initiatives. Her journey reflects not only a series of world-class achievements, but a lifelong commitment to pushing limits, leading teams, and inspiring change both on and off the water.