Big V gets ready for match race showdown

Ben Fogle and Team Caffari to go head to head

Travel writer and TV presenter Ben Fogle will take on Team Caffari in a Farr 45 match race shoot-out when the inaugural Big V Race sets off from Gunwharf Quays on Monday 10th July.

The head to head battle is just one of the highlights of the new Cork Week feeder race with a number of teams capable of winning and setting the first official World Speed Sailing Record for the Portsmouth to Cork trip.

Ben Fogle has made no secret of the fact that he is out to win and has picked a talented young team from the Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme to propel his boat, the John Merricks to the finish line. The team are experienced Farr 45 racers and will be skippered by Luke McCarthy. Ben is quite clear about the task in hand and believes beating Team Caffari is possible.

Ben said: “Beating Team Caffari will be a challenge but I’ve got some of the best young sailors in the country on my side, so I’m optimistic we can put one over them. This is much more of a sprint in comparison to Dee’s recent adventures so I’m hoping we can catch them cold and get off to a flyer.”

Team Caffari will be making its competitive debut in the Big V Race with a Kensington Mortgages branded Farr45. The team was created by adventurer and sailor Dee Caffari, the first woman to sail round the world, non-stop against the prevailing winds and currents. While not racing herself, Dee will be coaching and supporting the team throughout. She will be on hand to see the team off from Portsmouth before heading to Cork to help out with the prize giving.

Dee said: "The Big V is a fantastic new event. I am delighted that Team Caffari is now a reality and that it will debut at the Big V. Our aim is to continue to inspire people through sailing and show everyone just how exhilarating offshore racing can be. I think we’ve got an edge over Ben’s boat in terms of experience so I’m looking forward to a maiden victory for Team Caffari”

The Big V race is being organised by Virgin Money, the innovative insurer behind Big V Cancer Insurance, which launched earlier this year.

Virgin Money Marketing Manager Trevor Field said: “Hopefully we will see some great racing right through the field, but there is no doubt that it is the Ben vs. Dee clash that everyone is looking forward to. Ben is fiercely competitive and he’s got a great bunch of young guns with him, but I’d expect Team Caffari to be well prepared and well organised. Let battle commence!”

Virgin Money is supporting the Everyman Male Cancer Campaign and all proceeds from the Big V race will go to Everyman. Crew taking part in the Big V race will also be encouraged to raise at least £100 each in sponsorship.