Frequently Asked Questions

Ella is a 28 year old RYA accredited Yachtmaster Instructor and PADI Divemaster. Born in Germany, raised between England and France, she is bilingual, adventurous and well-traveled. She has always been passionate about the conservation of our oceans, having previously done volunteer work to that extent, and is now looking at undertaking an epic, adrenaline-filled sailing expedition to raise global awareness of the impacts of climate change on our Arctic environment. 

Ella plans to slip lines from Haslar Marina, Portsmouth, England, in May 2025. She estimates it will take 5 months to complete her expedition. 

Ella will be sailing from Haslar Marina, in the Solent, up the East coast of England, to a start point on the 66.5°N latitude of the Arctic Circle between Norway and Iceland. Then, around Iceland, southern Greenland, the NotthWest Passage through Canada, across Northern Alaska, and into Russian waters. Crossing the Laptev and Kara seas (NorthEast Passage) and eventually  back to her starting point near Norway, before heading down the coastline of the UK again, finishing up back in her home base of Haslar Marina, England. 

Ella has bought a 38ft Bruce Roberts designed steel-hulled yacht, that's strong and sturdy for such a challenging voyage. Throughout 2023-24, Yeva underwent an extensive refit period, and is now fully equipped for an extensive, offshore ocean voyage. Yeva boasts new sails, new rigging, solar panel, wind vane, hydro-generator, water maker and heating, amongst other feature, making her as self-sufficient as possible. She also carries a new engine, which Ella hopes to use as little as possible during the expedition. 

Ella has pledged to auction the yacht at the end of the expedition, and to donate all of the proceeds to both Polar Bears International and Ocean Conservancy. It will be hard for her to say goodbye to the boat after such a long, hazardous, exhilarating adventure together, but it will be worth it in order to support two organisations that are striving to protect the Arctic and its inhabitants, as well as the oceans of a larger scale. 

The Arctic is a rapidly-changing part of our planet that is under immense stress and at the edge of irreversible damage. What happens in the Arctic directly impacts the rest of the globe - as ice melts, it leads to rising water levels, which will wreak havoc on our coastlines.
As the Earth heats up and the ice disappears, scientists estimate that two-thirds of polar bears could be wiped out by 2050. Climate change has already removed at least 75 percent of Arctic summer sea ice volume at rates never before experienced in human history. Soon, the Arctic Ocean will be like other oceans for much of the year: open water that is exposed to exploitation and environmental destruction. Despite the Arctic Ocean’s unique vulnerabilities, it is still the least protected of all the world’s oceans. Less than 1.5 percent has any form of protected area status. The high seas of the Arctic — which belong to no single nation — are under no form of protection. 

In 2008 the North-West and North-East Passage shipping routes through the Arctic were briefly navigable by boat in the summer for the first time since records began. 

If we were doing our best to protect the Arctic, Ella’s intended trip wouldn’t even be feasible. The reality is that vast amounts of the Arctic are accessible, and unless something is done to put protection orders in place, shipping and oiling companies will be moving into the Arctic within the next decade. 

Ella is going to be spreading awareness about the work being done by both of these charities, throughout the time leading up to her sail, during, and after. She is not affiliated with the projects, websites or programs of either charity - she is an admirer of their work, and believes more people need to know about the risks the Arctic ecosystem is facing. 

Ella will be auctioning the boat, and all the proceeds from the auction will be donated directly to both Polar Bears International and Ocean Conservancy. 

To that end, Ella is hoping to help both of these charities both by spreading awareness of their projects, and by monetary donation at the end of the voyage.