British Yachtswoman Dee Caffari visits UKSA’s further education students to share her Round Britain and Ireland Race experience

Dee Caffari, British yachtswoman and UKSA’s Youth and Mental Health Ambassador, has visited the Cowes based charity to share her Round Britain and Ireland Race experience from this summer, as well as giving its FE students the opportunity to ask questions regarding building resilience while out on the water.

UKSA created the role and appointed Dee earlier this year to raise awareness and find solutions to help young people whose mental health has been affected by falling below the poverty line, having less time outdoors and reduced employment prospects.

The visit saw Dee host a session with UKSA’s further education students with 22 young people from its Adventurous Outdoor Activities course and 8 Maritime Foundation students, talking about her recent Round Britain and Ireland Race this summer with four-time Olympian and double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson. This was followed by an in-depth Q&A session with the group.

Dee Caffari said: “It was great to return to where my sailing career started at UKSA and share some of the challenges, triumphs and frustrations of my recent race around Britain and Ireland this summer. It’s important to me to be able to inspire the students and speak honestly about how difficult times can be but also give them the confidence to face their own challenges ahead. I hope I have inspired them to go on and have an amazing future in the marine industry.”

Bella Rainbow, age 16, currently a student on Adventurous Outdoor Activities: NCFE (Level 3 Diploma) at UKSA said: “I found Dee Caffari’s talk very inspiring. As a young aspiring female sailor myself, her experience on her struggles of being female and not seen as a strong person in the industry is something I can really relate to. It was also amazing to hear that she was a teacher before she became a sailor. Hearing her talk has given me the drive to complete my Further Education course and to sign up to UKSA’s Superyacht Cadetship after I graduate.”

Ben Willows, CEO at UKSA said: “It was important to us when appointing Dee as our Youth and Mental Health Ambassador that our students had access to Dee, and her wealth of knowledge and experience. Her recent visit instilled a new wave of enthusiasm in everyone and not only brought some realism to what they are learning, but also proved invaluable to get advice and resilience tips from one of the world’s best.”

The NCFE Level 3 Adventurous Outdoor Activities diploma is for 16-18 year olds and provides in-depth knowledge of the sports and outdoor industries. Students actively participate in leading sessions as a coach or instructor learning about anatomy, physiology, the effects of nutrition plus principles and practices of the outdoor adventurous industry.

The two-year Maritime Foundation course is aimed at those who have no prior experience in watersports or yachting and provides the essential skills, qualifications and knowledge required to start a career within the maritime industry. On completion of this course, learners gain the experience and qualifications to apply for various job opportunities within the maritime sectors. This can include watersports instructor, mate (tugs or flotilla), deck officer in merchant navy, or a deckhand on superyachts or workboats.

Useful information

• UKSA Ambassador Dee Caffari MBE
• Further education at UKSA