Volvo Ocean Race: "Turn the Tide on Plastic": Boat 6 for the Volvo Ocean Race

A young mixed team with an experienced afterguard and a commitment to sustainable environmental engagement for the oceans: this is "Turn the Tide on Plastic" - team number 6 for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018. The campaign is backed by organisations such as the Mirpuri Foundation and the Ocean Family Foundation. The project is also intended to strengthen the United Nations campaign "Clean Seas: Turn the Tide on Plastic". In the 13th edition of the most famous race around the world, the team wants to prove its sailing skills and achieve a good position in the 45,000 nautical mile ocean marathon.

In 2006, Dee Caffari, who was honoured by the British Queen, became the first woman to sail around the world single-handed and non-stop in a westerly direction - only four men had achieved this before the Englishwoman. In total, Caffari was the first woman to circumnavigate the world non-stop in both directions three times, taking part in the Vendée Globe and the Barcelona World Race. Now the 44-year-old wants to give it another go and build a mixed team with around 50 per cent women and 50 per cent men, the majority of whom should be under 30 years old.

"I'm super happy to be competing for a cause that I'm passionate about," explained the skipper, whose own English company will be in charge of the campaign. "We want to make a strong impression on the water and on land with a young and international mixed crew," Caffari explained her plan. Paulo Mirpuri, who founded the Mirpuri Foundation for the benefit of the oceans, is one of the people behind this ambitious endeavour. The businessman and philanthropist explained: "We must act immediately if the next generation is to inherit the oceans as we experienced them as children." The Ocean Family Foundation is on board with very similar goals. Speaking on behalf of the foundation, Peter Dubens said: "With her public profile as a British world record holder, Dee Caffari is the perfect leader to draw attention to the need for immediate action." She plans to announce her crew in the coming weeks and months.

For Caffari, the commitment marks her second consecutive Volvo Ocean Race participation. She took part in the last race with the SCA women's team and has since been campaigning intensively for a follow-up campaign with female participation. "I am honoured to be part of this ground-breaking campaign. The amount of plastic in our oceans is heartbreaking. Our campaign aims to proactively do something about it." The Volvo Ocean Race starts on 22 October 2017 in Alicante.