In January 2024, Ella partnered with an amazing company called Capital.com, which propelled the campaign forward at an astounding pace.

 

Between January and July 2024, Yeva was put through an intense shipyard refit. With the help of all of Ella’s incredible sponsors (see other page on the website for the full list), Yeva was transformed from a weary-looking boat to an ocean-ready vessel.

 

In July 2024, Ella and her sponsor Rick “the Pirate” from Blackbeard Marine set sail from Haslar Marina in Portsmouth, and made their way across the North Sea to Southern Norway. The was Yeva’s first sea trial since the refit, and after sorting a couple of issues early on, the crossing went well. Once in Norway, Rick disembarked and flew back to England, and Ella continued the rest of the sea trials and training alone. She battled multiple issues, including having to climb the rig at sea alone, total steerage failure in the middle of the Barents Sea headed for Svalbard, strong winds annd up to 5m high waves, and flooding of the yacht. She pushed through these issues and arrived at the world’s most northern settlement, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, in August 2024. Ella spent time in Svalbard fixing Yeva’s steering, exploring the amazing island, meeting with and being interviewed by locals, and documenting it all on her social media pages and YouTube channel. After two weeks in Svalbard, Ella returned to mainland Norway, and used the fjords as shelter from the September storms ravaging the North Sea. When a fair weather window allowed, she crossed the North Sea again and made landfall in Shetland, before continuing down to Scotland.

 

In October 2024, Yeva was brought back to Victoria Quays Shipyard in Gosport, to have some issues resolved, such as reinforcing the steering, and placing proper drainage holes in the bow’s anchor locker.

 

Ella hopes to have Yeva afloat again before Christmas, and will then undertake more sea trials and heavy weather training in the English Channel in the New Year.

 

The campaign is fully funded, and as long as Ella’s visas get approved in spring 2025, she will set sail for the circumnavigation attempt at the end of May/early June 2025. Exact date to be confirmed closer to the time. In the mean time, please check out the social media pages and YouTube channel, where you’ll be able to catch up on the adventures from 2024, and see real-time regular updates as to what Ella and Yeva are up to currently.