Dee Caffari | Turn the Tide on Plastic | Sailing the world wearing Olas in the Volvo Ocean Race

We posted before about inspiring brands and people leading the way in the war on plastic here. If you don't know her already, we would also like to put record breaking yachtswoman Dee Caffari on your radar. She's a pretty big deal in the sailing world and she's making footprints in the environmental world too. 

"I feel very privileged to have the ocean as a playground and a work office, and yet I can see first-hand some of the damage we're doing." - Caffari 

As well as being an Inspirational Speaker and Presenter, Dee has sailed around the world five (almost six) times - an incredible British Yachtswoman.  She is the first woman to have sailed single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions and the only woman to have sailed non-stop around the world a total of three times. In 2006 Dee became the first woman to sail solo, non-stop, around the world against the prevailing winds and currents and was awarded an MBE in recognition of her achievement. We take is back, she’s not a pretty big deal - she’s a MASSIVE deal and it’s wonderful to have her an ambassador for Olas Ocean Tribe!

Dee Caffari is an Olas ambassador. The rest of the female crew of Turn the Tide on Plastic love our recycled plastic leggings too! (📸 Beau Outteridge)

Dee is making waves as an environmental activist. She's channeling her sailing passion toward helping to save the ocean. She is currently the skipper on board 'Turn the Tide on Plastic' - a boat racing in sailing’s most brutal and epic round-the-world race: the Volvo Ocean Race. In October 2017 the race started in Spain - during the months leading up to this date, Dee focussed on trials to knit together the best possible crew for the upcoming race.

"The synergy is very nice with this Turn The Tide on Plastic team with the focus on youth sailors. They realise it's their generation and their children that are going to have to action something to make a difference for the future." - Caffari

She wanted a mixed gender, international and youth focussed team - helping new talent emerge. She stuck to this vision. After lots of organising and trials, the young sailors were selected and fast tracked to compete in one of the most competitive sailing events in the world - they have definitely risen to the challenge. The participants in the Volvo Ocean Race are usually male sailors with years of experience. So Dee's crew is very different to what the race is used to! 

📸 James Blake / Volvo Ocean Race

 "It's a realization by so many more people now that it's critical. If we actually don't do anything about it our planet is doomed." - Caffari

Turn the Tide on Plastic have also been undertaking key research in terms of measuring the amount of plastic in the most remote and inaccessible ocean areas as they have travelled around the globe. The results will be analysed to build up a global map of micro-plastic concentration levels in the oceans.

Dee is keen to push key messages around marine conservation and we are fully behind her! What an amazing woman. Good luck for the last leg of the Volvo Ocean Race!