Please select your home edition
Edition
V-DRY-X

Dan Lenard starts second Guiness World Record attempt to sail 500 nautical miles in an ILCA 7

by Eugenio 15 Jun 16:52 PDT 14 June 2025
Dan Lenard's second Guinness World Record attempt to sail 500 nautical miles in an ILCA 7 begins © Vela Code

Dan Lenard began his second attempt to break a Guinness World Record on Saturday 14 June 2025. The event took place in front of the city of Dubrovnik; His goal is to nearly double the current record, aiming for a staggering 500 nautical miles, a journey expected to take approximately seven days.

His boat for the attempt is 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 last details of the preparation of the boat had been carried out in the marinas of the

J K Orsan yacht club located on the opposite side of the city, where it is worth mentioning the excellent predisposition and support of the club and its people to get the boat ready.

After giving a conference about sustainability and the principles of the Vela Code movement during the Blue Impact Dialogues in coincidence with the date of the E-1 series held in the city of Dubrovnik, Lenard started his second attempt to break the Guinness World Record with only 57 years of age, after the conference he went down the stairs, jumped off the dock and swam 50 metres to the buoy where the boat was moored and from there he started the journey "500 miles non assisted".

The term 'Vela Code non assisted' refers to a type of sailing in which there is no two-way interaction with other people, neither by telephone nor during the sailing itself. In other words, it is a completely autonomous operation, with no external support or real-time communication.

This concept was adopted in the context of the Vela Code project, founded by designer Dan Lenard, with the aim of promoting sustainability and clean oceans. The project consists among other things, of solo ocean crossings, such as Lenard's 2019 Atlantic crossing aboard the sailing yacht Scia. During these crossings, the crew is limited to one person, with no external assistance, to test and demonstrate the ability to operate in total self-sufficiency.

No one is to come within 50 metres of the boat; those who come closer can film if they wish, but not attempt to talk to Lenard. Messages are one-way, without their replies, Lenard faces this new challenge, with the support of the Vela Code Team and the powerful adventure-generating inertia of the Vela Code Movement, Lenard will find himself sailing unassisted and without even anchoring until the end. He will sleep aboard his small boat as he sails, carrying all the necessary supplies packed and secured in advance.

The voyage will be able to be followed online in real time via an onboard beacon, with live updates, direct postings on Lenard media, please check yb.tl/vela500miles

In line with the principles of the Vela Code, Lenard's voyage will be entirely free of emissions and single-use plastic packaging. No plastic bottled water will be transported, ensuring zero plastic waste throughout the voyage.

These event is 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.

Vela Code movement will promote its principles all over the world in the next future with her ambassador vehicle, the boat named "Vela" ex Volvo Ocean Race, Telefonica black.

Related Articles

Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 2
Philip Köster triumphs again in Pozo Izquierdo Köster survives a late scare to earn an eighth Pozo event title, and first 5-star victory since 2022, in even windier conditions than Saturday. Posted on 6 Jul
A perfect start to the 5th annual AEGEAN 600
Cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind At the very southern end of the Greek mainland at Cape Sounion in Attica, today's start to the 5th edition of the AEGEAN 600 was perfect: cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind. Posted on 6 Jul
29er Europeans at Lake Garda day 4
One race, one storm, and one big lay day vibe With qualification wrapped and the fleet now split into six groups—Gold, Silver, Bronze, Emerald, Purple, and White—Day 4 of the 29er Europeans kicked off with early optimism and an earlier-than-usual launch in pursuit of the morning breeze. Posted on 6 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 1
Full foiling conditions launch the World Championship with four high-intensity races for both fleets The iQFOiL World Championship kicked off today in Aarhus with dynamic and demanding conditions that truly tested the world's top foiling windsurfers. The wind was anything but steady, shifting in both direction and intensity throughout the day. Posted on 6 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais overall
American Magic Quantum Racing win Rolex TP52 Worlds after breezy week in Cascais. Doug DeVos' American Magic Quantum Racing crew were crowned 2025 Rolex TP52 World Champions today in Cascais, Portugal. Posted on 6 Jul
Red Bull Sailing Academy Opens
A new hub for current and future superstars to reach the top of their sport Marina Monfalcone, North Italy, made waves yesterday, as sports superstars gathered to open the Red Bull Sailing Academy, marking the beginning of a new era in the sport. Posted on 6 Jul
Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 1
Philip Köster edges out Marcilio Browne in one of the closest finals ever Philip Köster edges out Marcilio Browne in one of the closest finals ever as Pozo delivers 50 knot winds and waves. Posted on 6 Jul
America's Cup: French give the Brits the "Hurry-up
Frustration builds between Cup factions over lack of progress with Protocol. Last weekend's missive from the French America's Cup challenge team is further evidence over the building frustration with progress towards the 2027 America's Cup in Naples. Posted on 6 Jul
The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?! Posted on 6 Jul
GKSS Match Cup & Nordea Women's Trophy overall
It is the first time the Match Cup Sweden title has been won by a Danish Skipper Denmark's Jeppe Borch/ Team Borch Match Race, and France's Pauline Courtois/ Match in Pink by Normandy crowned the new champions of Marstrand in a day of fierce weather for the final of 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy in Marstrand. Posted on 6 Jul
Allen Dynamic 40 FooterArmstrong 728x90 - HA Foil Range - BOTTOMSea Sure 2025