Dan Lenard, the renowned superyacht designer, co-founder, and chief of design at Studio Nuvolari Lenard, as well as the founder of the Vela Code Foundation and Vela Code Movement, is preparing for his second attempt at breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest unassisted solo non-stop sailing in a dinghy along the Croatian coast
He will undertake this challenge in a PSA-built Olympic-class ILCA 7 (formerly known as the Laser Standard), a 4.21-meter (13-foot-9-inch) dinghy with a 1.37-meter (4-foot-7-inch) beam. The boat is prepared under the supervision of Olympian Vasilij Zbogar.
What makes this attempt especially challenging is the ILCA 7’s unique design—once the sail is hoisted on land at departure, it cannot be reset until the journey ends. This means Lenard must sail continuously, without adjusting the sail, until he reaches land again—a factor that significantly increases the difficulty of his record-breaking effort.
As a reminder, in September 2024, Dan Lenard sailed for 110 hours non-stop and covered 220 nautical miles, but due to weak or complete absence of winds, which culminated in the arrival of a perfect storm after five days, he was forced to abort his attempt to break the record, in line with the principle of ‘safety first’
This extraordinary feat—often compared to extreme solo mountain climbing—will see Lenard navigating without assistance, without mooring, and without anchoring for days on end. He will sleep onboard his tiny boat while underway, carrying all necessary supplies packed and secured in advance. His goal is to nearly double the current record (220 nm), aiming for an astonishing 500 nautical miles, a journey expected to take approximately seven days.
OCEAN PROTECTION: A CRITICAL MATTER OF URGENCY
In alignment with Vela Code principles, Lenard’s voyage will be entirely emission-free and free from single-use plastic packaging. No plastic-bottled water will be carried, ensuring zero plastic waste throughout the trip.
The challenge, titled VELA 500 MILES, is scheduled for the second half of June 2025, depending on favorable weather conditions. The journey will be trackable online in real time via an onboard beacon, with live updates, direct media posts from Lenard, and live interviews while he sails. Boats in the central Adriatic region will be encouraged to meet and follow him along the Dalmatian coast during his week-long journey.
The official announcement of the attempt will take place at the 2025 Venice Boat Show, where Lenard will also present his book about his Vela Code solo transatlantic crossing six years ago. Both events are part of a broader initiative to promote the Vela Code Foundation and Movement, which seeks to educate and engage the nautical community as firsthand witnesses to the state of our seas, ultimately advocating for ocean preservation on a global scale.
The Vela Code initiative underscores the urgent need to restore the planet’s drastically reduced CO₂ absorption capacity. According to Lenard, reducing carbon emissions is only part of the solution plastic pollution, which weakens the ocean’s ability to absorb CO₂ and disrupts the planet’s primary oxygen production, must be addressed immediately. Without urgent action to curb plastic pollution, current efforts to reduce emissions may ultimately be in vain.
Set to launch between June 13th and 14th, 2025, from Dubrovnik,the challenge will unfold during the prestigious World E1 Series boat racing championship. As part of the official E1 events, Dan Lenard will also host a press conference to share insights and inspiration behind the feat.
Cover: photo © South America Yachting News
