Sven Yrvind
At 86, Sven Yrvind is still pushing the limits of small-boat design. Discover the philosophy and technical grit behind his 'Exlex' series.
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While the modern yachting industry races toward ever-larger hulls and more complex systems, Sven Yrvind is sailing in the opposite direction. At over 86 years old, the legendary Swedish designer, builder, and solo sailor remains the world’s most fervent advocate for the "small is safe" philosophy. From his humble workshop in Västervik, Yrvind is currently perfecting his latest masterpiece, Exlex—a 6.27-meter "mountain bike of the oceans" designed for an ambitious voyage from Sweden to Dunedin, New Zealand. His story is not just one of maritime endurance, but a lifelong pursuit of happiness through radical simplicity. Source: yrvind.com
Key Takeaways
- The Philosophy: Radical micro-cruising. Sven believes that as a boat gets smaller, its relative strength increases, making it safer for high-latitude voyages.
- The Innovation: A pioneer of sandwich construction using thick Divinycell foam and epoxy, creating unsinkable, highly insulated "sealed capsules."
- The Legacy: Rounded Cape Horn in a 5.9-meter boat in the dead of winter (1980) and continues to inspire a new generation of minimalist sailors.
⚓ Quick Specs & Channel Vitals
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name/Type | Exlex (2021-2025 version) / Sailing Canoe Cruiser |
| Hull Design | Full-displacement, double-ender |
| Construction | 30-50mm Divinycell Sandwich / Epoxy |
| Length (LOA) | 6.27 meters |
| Beam | 1.40 meters |
| Rig Type | 3-masted Lugger |
| Ballast | Water Ballast (approx. 350L drinking water) |
| Notable Milestone | Over 1,800 daily YouTube videos documenting the build |
Meet the Sailor and the Vision
Sven Yrvind: The Self-Taught Polymath
Born Sven Lundin, Yrvind’s journey began in 1962 when he left Sweden in a 15-foot converted Blekingseka. Dyslexic and often at odds with traditional education, he taught himself advanced mathematics and engineering to understand the fundamental physics of hull design. His career has been a series of radical experiments: from sailing a converted 13-foot rowing boat to England to rounding Cape Horn in the winter of 1980 aboard his iconic 5.9-meter Bris II. Yrvind’s core tenet is that "a bigger boat does not bring happiness; happiness is an inside thing." Source: Biographical Notes - yrvind.com
The Boat: Exlex - The Outlaw
The name Exlex (meaning "outlaw" in Latin) perfectly captures Yrvind’s defiance of standard maritime regulations. His latest iteration is a 6.27-meter displacement hull built with extreme structural integrity. The hull features an exceptionally thick sandwich core—up to 50mm of Divinycell foam—which provides both immense strength and enough buoyancy to remain unsinkable even if fully swamped. Rather than a lead keel, Yrvind utilizes his 350-liter drinking water supply as ballast, replacing consumed water with seawater to maintain stability. The boat is designed to capsize and right itself immediately, acting more like a life-raft capsule than a traditional yacht. Source: Technical Specs - yrvind.com
Voyages, Destinations, and High Latitudes
Yrvind is famous for choosing the path of most resistance. His rounding of Cape Horn in June 1980—the southern hemisphere's winter—remains one of the most remarkable feats in small-boat history. Today, his focus is on the long-haul passage to Dunedin, New Zealand. This route requires a vessel capable of navigating the Southern Ocean's massive swells and unpredictable gales. His design choices, including a shallow draft and retractable centerboards, allow him to reach remote anchorages and beach the vessel in emergencies. Source: 'One Year Summary' - yrvind.com
Life Aboard: Technical Grit and Simplicity
Advanced Sandwich Construction
Building an Exlex is an exercise in meticulous patience. Sven documents his process daily, showing the application of NM Epoxy and the complex geometry of his lugger rig. His workshop is a testament to DIY ingenuity, where military-grade high-density foam meets hand-carved components. The result is a hull with a high prismatic coefficient, maximizing speed for its short waterline while ensuring the vessel can handle breaking seas without structural failure. Source: YouTube - Build Process Updates
The YouTube Journey: A Video Every Day
Since August 2021, Sven has committed to posting a video every single day on his YouTube channel. This unparalleled level of transparency has created a global community of "Yrvind-watchers" who follow every epoxy pour and mathematical calculation. His production style is raw and educational, often pausing to explain the underlying physics of his design choices or his daily habits for maintaining mental and physical health at sea. Source: SVENYRVINDEXLEX Channel Info
Top Episodes: Where to Start Watching
- Fixing the Locking Mechanism – A deep dive into Sven's custom-engineered hardware and problem-solving.
- The Backup Anchor – Detailed insights into the safety systems required for solo high-latitude cruising.
- Faith, Hope and Charity: My Anchor is My Hope – A poignant look at the philosophical foundation of Sven's maritime life.
Channels Similar to Sven Yrvind
- Allison & James: For those who appreciate the 'no-frills,' small-boat approach to exploring high-latitude frontiers.
- Sailing Project Atticus: If you enjoy the deep technical details of refitting and restoring vessels for long-range cruising.
- Sailing Uma: For viewers who admire DIY innovation and the pursuit of a simpler, more sustainable life at sea.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sven Yrvind
As of 2026, Sven Yrvind is over 86 years old and continues to actively design, build, and plan solo maritime expeditions.
Exlex is a custom-designed micro-cruiser (approx. 6.27m) featuring thick Divinycell sandwich construction, water ballast, and a 3-masted lugger rig. It is designed to be a self-righting, unsinkable survival capsule.
Yrvind follows the square-cube law, which states that as a structure gets smaller, it becomes proportionally stronger. He believes small boats are inherently safer and easier to maintain for solo sailing.
Yes, Sven rounded Cape Horn in June 1980 (during the southern winter) in his 5.9-meter boat, Bris II, a legendary achievement in the world of solo sailing.
Sven is currently based in Västervik, Sweden, where he is completing the build of his latest Exlex vessel for a future voyage to New Zealand.
Sven Yrvind Journey and Videos Locations
- Sven Yrvind's workshop in Uddevalla, Sweden. (57.6594994,11.9355997)
- Fjällbacka is a locality situated in Orust Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. (58.4099,11.9381)
- Sven Yrvind Workshop, Vu00e4stervik, Sweden (57.7577,16.637)
- Sven Yrvind's base in Stockholm, Sweden (59.3523,18.0766)
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Watch Sven Yrvind's Latest Videos
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Mockup – No Ballast, Deckhouse Buoyancy for Self Righting
This Youtube channel is about me Sven Yrvind. I am 87 and a half years old dyslectic solo sailor. I am building a plywood test boat for a Divinycell and NM-epoxy high-latitude cruiser. She will be about 4.5 meter or 14 feet and 9 inches long, the beam 1.36 meter, 4 feet 6 inches. She is a two mas...
The two bulkheads weakly installed.
This Youtube channel is about me Sven Yrvind. I am 87 and a half years old dyslectic solo sailor. I am building a plywood test boat for a Divinycell and NM-epoxy high-latitude cruiser. She will be about 4.5 meter or 14 feet and 9 inches long, the beam 1.36 meter, 4 feet 6 inches. She is a two mas...
The Outer Coaming and Fiberglassing the Inner One.
Sven Yrvind fits the outer spray skirt coaming and laminates fiberglass onto the inner coaming in his workshop, refining his rope attachment setup and filleting the joint defenses.
Starting the Inner of Two Spray Skirt Coamings.
Sven Yrvind works in his workshop cutting and fitting inner and outer spray skirt coamings, detailing kerf measurements and fiberglass reinforcement.
Cutting the Divinycell Bulkheads.
In his Västervik workshop, Sven Yrvind shapes composite bulkheads and constructs rounded hatch coamings with dual spray protection for his compact ocean cruiser, verifying hull symmetry and deck crown alignment.
Laminating the Two Bulkheads.
Sven Yrvind numbers and lays out fiberglass cloth before laminating two bulkheads with epoxy resin in his Västervik workshop for his 4.5-meter high-latitude cruiser test boat.
Starting the Two Divinycell Bulkheads.
In his Västervik workshop, Sven Yrvind lays out two test bulkheads inside a plywood mockup, adjusting semicircular access cutouts and planning insulated Divinycell sandwich bulkheads for his upcoming ocean cruiser.
The Space Allocation for the Three Compartments Is Settled.
Inside his Västervik workshop, solo sailor Sven Yrvind settles the space allocation for three interior compartments, reinforces the plywood bow with fiberglass, and fits steering fins and a masthead antenna.
Finding the Best Bulkhead Positions.
In his workshop, Sven Yrvind adjusts bulkhead positions on his plywood test boat, reallocating internal bay spacing, marking the waterline, and calculating hull displacement.
Right Side Up for the First Time!
In his workshop, solo sailor Sven Yrvind turns his experimental plywood test boat right side up for the first time, keeping internal molds in place to preserve hull shape before fitting bulkheads.
A Rope Attachment and Reinforced Joints.
Sven Yrvind reinforces his plywood test boat hull in Västervik, installing an iron bottom runner, dual lifting rope pipes potted in thickened epoxy, and fiberglass corner joints.
All the Plywood for the Structural Keel Is in Place.
Sven Yrvind laminates all five plywood layers for the structural keel of his test boat in Västervik, installing lifting pipes and letting the epoxy cure under heavy shop weights before final shaping.
More of the Same – The Penultimate Layer.
Sven Yrvind laminates the penultimate bottom layer of his 4.8-meter plywood test boat and prepares reinforced stainless steel hull protection.
More of the Same – Third layer.
Sven Yrvind adds the third layer of lamination to a structural member on his test boat and assesses newly delivered 316 stainless steel hardware.
More of the Same – 2nd Layer.
In his Västervik workshop, solo sailor Sven Yrvind applies the second layer of laminate on his test boat build, checking glue squeeze-out and detailing plans for a protective stainless shoe.
Twin Keels? No, Something Better!
Sven Yrvind re-engineers his test boat hull in Sweden, discarding twin keels in favor of a five-layer plywood keel shoe protected by a 316 stainless steel runner plate.
Making Dust.
Sven Yrvind fits and trims a bent wooden component on his test boat in Västervik, securing the joint with epoxy and weights before shaping the bow for hardware.
Moment of Inertia, Center of Gravity, and Some Confusion.
Sven Yrvind joins the bottom hull panels of his plywood test boat in Västervik, cutting the perimeter and detailing the daggerboard trunk, rotational inertia, and storage.
Starting on the Bottom.
Sven Yrvind mounts the transom, reinforces the forward hull, and joins plywood bottom sheets on the bench for his experimental micro-cruiser Bris X.
Exlex Fins – For Those Interested in the Development of Yacht Design.
Sven Yrvind demonstrates the adjustable G11 epoxy laminate steering fins and scale trunk slots designed for his experimental ocean cruiser Exlex.
An Idea on the Way to My Talk.
Driving to Huskvarna for an evening talk, Sven Yrvind reflects on boat design adjustments, tilting components, epoxy work, and his daily training routine.
Visitors and Wonderful Handmade Gifts.
Solo mariner Sven Yrvind welcomes visitors from Poland to his workshop, receiving handmade gifts including an original painting, custom pre-sextant apparel, and an enlarged navigation symbol.
I’m Now 87½ Years Old.
Marking his 87th birthday milestone in Västervik, solo sailor Sven Yrvind butt-joints plywood panels for a 4.8-meter test hull, testing rudderless fin steering, surge ventilation, and movable ballast.