Nuvolari & Lenard co-founder embarks on solo transatlantic voyage in aid of ocean pollution

By Katia Damborsky 18 February 2019

Dan Lenard, co-founder of award-winning design studio Nuvolari & Lenard, is making a solo transatlantic crossing from Spain to Miami in order to raise awareness of ocean pollution.

Setting course from southern Spain on January 20, Dan Lenard is currently undertaking a solo mission across the atlantic on a 33ft/10m sailing yacht named SCIA without the assistance of GPS, a radio, an engine or a compass.

This extraordinary challenge aims to highlight the purity of sailing and encourage an effort to reduce the global pollution in the ocean.

“The whole idea [of sailing] is about the wind, nature and a connection with the marine environment.” Lenard said before he set off. “I want to invite everybody that loves the sea to become a voice of a spreading awareness regarding the conservancy of our seas and oceans.”

The whole idea [of sailing] is about the wind, nature and a connection with the marine environment.
Dan Lenard

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This non-profit expedition, officially called La Vite e Vela, has been entirely funded by Lenard in the hope of raising awareness of the extent of the damage inflicted on the ocean.

“While a public beach appears to be clean due to a meticulous daily cleaning of the appointed services, a yacht reaching remote places is easily discovering the reality- the sad state of beaches, coasts and also the water itself. " Says Lenard. "Plastic has now reached practically every part of the world’s seas.”

Scia yacht with dramatic grey sky in backgroun

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Exhibiting true commitment to conservation, SCIA was constructed from the abandoned remains of five different boats, two of which are over a decade old. Lenard designed the yacht himself, and the finished result is an impressive sloop with a carbon fibre hull and 2 foot bowsprit.

A keen sailor since childhood, Lenard managed to navigate the Atlantic ‘blind’ with nothing but the stars to guide him. However, now he has reached the Caribbean he will rely on charts to reach Miami.

Lenard was due to arrive in Florida in time for the Miami Yacht Show around February 14, but a lack of wind has slowed down his journey. While Lenard cannot chart his location for himself, a tracker beacon sends a signal to the shore, which is currently placing SCIA off the coast of Puerto Rico.