Our Program
A Long-Term Platform for Ocean Action
Sail for Impact is a long-term ocean engagement programme developed by PVO Expeditions. It uses sailing expeditions as platforms for exploration, knowledge exchange, education and storytelling, connecting local ocean action with wider audiences, institutions and supporters.
Many ocean challenges remain unseen because they occur underwater, in remote locations or beyond public attention. Restoration practitioners, researchers and coastal communities often lack the reach, connections and long-term support needed to bring their work beyond specialist networks.
Each initiative is developed around local needs and knowledge. PVO Expeditions provides the sailing platform, expedition management, partnership coordination and public engagement, bringing practitioners, researchers, coastal communities, sailors and communicators into affected environments.
The flagship initiative, Silent Depth under the Arctic Ocean, addresses kelp forest decline and expanding sea urchin barrens in Northern Norway. Its first expedition was completed in May 2026 with support from Hurtigruten Foundation and local partners. Silent Depth is endorsed as a Project of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, coordinated by UNESCO-IOC.
Sail for Impact will expand into marine protected areas and Mediterranean coastal challenges. Sail to Explore will build personal connection with the ocean, while offshore racing will bring ocean messages to larger audiences.
Over the next ten years, shared storytelling, education, partnerships and operational systems will create a repeatable model connecting field experience, local action and sustained support for ocean protection and recovery.
Our Activities
Together, these activities form the long-term Sail for Impact programme. They combine place-based ocean initiatives, sailing engagement programmes and the shared infrastructure needed to support systematic and lasting change.
1. Sail for Impact: Silent Depth under the Arctic Ocean
Target group: Restoration practitioners, researchers, coastal communities, sailors, communicators and ocean-sector participants
Period: May 2026 – December 2030
Description: Deliver recurring sailing expeditions focused on Arctic kelp forest decline and expanding sea urchin barrens. Working with restoration and knowledge partners, the initiative supports field engagement, documentation, knowledge exchange and public education. It builds on the first expedition completed in May 2026 and its endorsement as an Ocean Decade Project.
Place: Northern Norway and the wider Arctic region
2. Sail for Impact: MPA (Marine Protected Area) Exploration
Target group: MPA practitioners, researchers, coastal communities, policymakers, sailors and public audiences
Period: January 2028 – December 2033
Description: Develop sailing expeditions that explore marine protected areas and communicate their ecological and social importance. Working with local partners, the initiative will document protection challenges, community perspectives and successful approaches. Focus areas may include coral reefs, kelp forests, coastal habitats and other ecologically important marine environments.
Place: Selected marine protected areas worldwide
3. Sail for Impact: Mediterranean Coastal Communities
Target group: Tourists, coastal communities, marina operators, tourism businesses, municipalities and sailors
Period: May 2027 – October 2032
Description: Address the environmental pressures created by intensive seasonal tourism in Mediterranean coastal destinations. The initiative will document overlooked impacts beneath marinas and along coastlines, including waste, wastewater, anchoring pressure and marine traffic. Working with local stakeholders, it will create practical content encouraging responsible tourism while recognizing its economic importance to coastal communities.
Place: Selected Mediterranean coastal towns, marinas and tourism destinations
4. Sail to Explore: Ocean Engagement Expeditions
Target group: Individuals, emerging ocean advocates, sailors, young professionals and international communities
Period: January 2022 – December 2035
Description: Deliver experiential sailing journeys that reconnect people with the ocean through exploration, shared responsibility and life at sea. Sail to Explore builds an international community with a stronger personal connection to marine environments. It also creates a pathway for future participants, ambassadors, supporters and collaborators across Sail for Impact.
Place: Selected sailing destinations worldwide
5. Offshore Racing: Ocean Voice and Public Engagement
Target group: Sailing audiences, race communities, sponsors, media, businesses and the wider public
Period: January 2027 – December 2035
Description: Use offshore racing to amplify ocean messages and connect environmental initiatives with larger audiences. Campaigns will combine race participation, partner activation and storytelling linked to Sail for Impact initiatives. The programme will increase visibility, attract strategic partners and direct attention towards the ocean challenges and communities represented.
Place: Selected offshore races and maritime events worldwide
6. Sail for Impact: Storytelling, Education and Engagement Platform
Target group: Public audiences, educational institutions, coastal communities, participants, businesses, funders and policymakers
Period: May 2024 – December 2035
Description: Build the central communication and education platform connecting all Sail for Impact activities. It will transform field experience, local knowledge and specialist insights into films, photography, interviews, educational resources and public campaigns. Shared editorial and distribution systems will allow individual initiatives to reinforce one another and build sustained public engagement over time.
Place: Expedition locations, partner events and online worldwide
7. Sail for Impact: Global Programme and Partnership Infrastructure
Target group: Ocean organizations, foundations, researchers, coastal communities, maritime operators, businesses and international networks
Period: May 2024 – December 2035
Description: Establish the partnerships and organizational infrastructure required to develop Sail for Impact as a recurring global programme. This includes fundraising, vessel access, local partner frameworks, expedition standards, governance, monitoring and impact evaluation. The work includes initiatives such as the IDG Global Ocean Hub and will allow future programmes to be developed responsibly without rebuilding the delivery model for every location.
Place: Denmark, programme locations and partner countries worldwide
Build It With Us
Sail for Impact grows through collaboration. We welcome ocean organizations, coastal communities, researchers, foundations, maritime partners, businesses, sailors and storytellers interested in developing or supporting this work.