Sven Yrvindvideo
Help from an old friend
May 22, 2021 · 21 min · 5K views · Västervik
What this video covers
Sven Yrvind and Tomas Grahn recount their 2007 transatlantic passage from Sweden to Florida aboard a Vega sailboat.0:54 The pair prepared the vessel in Västervik, addressing structural issues including a weak rudder and mast step before departing in late August.5:45 During the North Sea crossing, they encountered 50-knot winds that caused the interior to delaminate from the hull, requiring repairs with NM epoxy.7:20 The engine suffered repeated failures, and the crew navigated the Forth and Clyde Canal before reaching Belfast to secure US visas.10:40 They timed a gale to transit from Belfast to Kinsale, Ireland, maintaining 11 knots over the ground.13:07 The voyage included a mid-ocean encounter with St. Elmo’s fire and a man-overboard incident in the Bay of Biscay.15:21 After 58 days at sea, they arrived in Florida.18:10 This experience launched Grahn’s career as a singlehanded sailor.19:49 Yrvind is currently preparing to travel to Madeira to continue testing his prototype boat in the North Atlantic.20:57
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