Co-founder of Nuvolari & Lenard completes 43 day solo transatlantic crossing

By Katia Damborsky 4 March 2019

Dan Lenard, co-founder of superyacht design firm Nuvolari and Lenard, has spent 43 days navigating the Atlantic ocean solo in order to raise awareness of ocean pollution.

Arriving in Fort Lauderdale on 3 March, Dan Lenard has completed a transatlantic mission on board a 33ft/10m sailing yacht named SCIA without the assistance of GPS, a radio, an engine or even a compass.

The remarkable expedition, which saw Lenard navigating 4,800 nautical miles from Spain, aims to highlight the purity of sailing and the perpetually-growing problem of plastic pollution in the sea.

Sailing yacht and Dan Lenard arriving in For Lauderdale

dan lenard on board sailing yacht scia after completing his voyage

After facing some enormous challenges, Lenard was met with much celebration at the dock in Fort Lauderdale. Over the course of the 43-day expedition, he faced sleep deprivation, hunger and the unique demands of navigating a yacht entirely unaided by another person or technical equipment.

Setting course from Cadiz on January 10, Lenard was initially due to arrive in Florida in time for the Miami Yacht Show, which ran between February 14 and 18. However, he was hindered by a severe lack of winds for a significant portion of the journey and he was forced to make an emergency pit stop in Antigua to reprovision after losing a large amount of weight.

Plastic has now reached practically every part of the world’s seas.
Dan Lenard

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The non-profit expedition, officially named La Vite e Vela, has been funded by Lenard in the hopes of creating a greater sense of awareness about the extent of the pollution in our seas.

“A yacht reaching remote places is easily discovering the reality [of ocean pollution]- the sad state of beaches, coasts and also the water itself. " Lenard said before he left. "Plastic has now reached practically every part of the world’s seas.”

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While Lenard tackled the Atlantic using just the sun and the stars, he began used charts to guide him when he reached the Caribbean. A tracker beacon fitted on SCIA allowed supporters of La Vite e Vela to track Lenard’s location; although he did not have access to this technology himself.

Proving Lenard’s commitment to conservation, SCIA was made from the discarded parts of five other boats and she is an original design from Lenard himself. The carbon-fibre hull and deck were constructed a decade ago for the purpose of another project, while the rudder, keel and mast have been sourced from boats abandoned mid-build.

“The whole idea [of sailing] is about the wind, nature and a connection with the marine environment.” Said Lenard. “I want to invite everybody that loves the sea to become a voice for spreading awareness regarding the conservation of our ocean."