Sven Yrvind Swedish engineer, writer, inventor and navigator Date of Birth: 22.04.1939 Country: Sweden

Biography of Sven Yrvind

Sven Yrvind is a Swedish engineer, writer, inventor, and sailor who is known for his passion for building the smallest boats in the world that are capable of crossing oceans. Born in 1939 in Gothenburg, Sweden, Sven comes from a family with a long line of seafarers. Despite struggling with dyslexia in his childhood, particularly in writing, Sven was always fascinated by the sea and voyages. In the early 1970s, he built his first boat, named 'Bris I', and went on to construct several more vessels according to his own designs.

In 1980, Sven gained recognition by successfully circumnavigating Cape Horn on his 6-meter-long boat, 'Bris II'. Despite their small size, Sven's boats have achieved remarkable feats. In recent years, he has dedicated himself to the idea of minimizing marine vessels as much as possible. In 2011, Sven crossed the Atlantic Ocean on a 5-meter boat, spending 45 days on the journey.

Sven's unique boats have been jokingly referred to as "pails" by sailors due to their seemingly insubstantial appearance while bobbing on ocean waves. However, Sven himself regards them as "survival capsules" and takes his creations very seriously. Throughout his career, Sven has encountered various maritime incidents, including collisions with whales and icebergs.

Now in his seventies, Sven's latest creation is a boat called 'Yrvind 1/2', measuring only 4.8 meters in length. He has plans to build a 3-meter boat, with which he intends to complete a circumnavigation without any stops or port visits in just one and a half years. Sven firmly believes that the size of a boat does not affect its safety. According to his reasoning, larger boats have greater mass, which leaves them more vulnerable to damage during storms.

Despite his appearance, with his gray hair, round glasses, and beard, Sven Yrvind is a philosopher who spends much of his time in his own company, contemplating the nature of the world and constantly inventing new things. He has no fear of solitude during his solo journeys and considers the preparation stage of his voyages to be the happiest time. Interestingly, Sven's only concern is not gaining weight during his travels, as his boat is extremely small in size.

It is important to note that Sven Yrvind is not a madman, but rather a meticulous planner who has already completed several circumnavigations. His boats have broken records for their size, making them the smallest vessels to venture into the open ocean.