I’m Vilja, Pär Nyman’s daughter and team manager, and I’m running this fundraiser to support my dad throughout his Golden Globe Race (GGR) journey.

On September 6, 2026, Pär crossed the starting line of the Golden Globe Race — a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world, sailing without modern navigation systems or outside assistance.

For Pär, this is a lifelong dream. He has spent more than a year preparing for the race and has financed all of it himself. Several million Swedish kronor have gone into this project, including the boat, equipment, preparations, safety systems, provisions and travel. He has used essentially all of his savings and shares and still owes money for the new sails he bought just a couple of months before the race.

When Pär decided to enter the GGR, he deliberately chose not to start a fundraiser, assuming that people wouldn’t want to contribute to his dream.

He ended up financing all of it himself - until I started this fundraiser.

An unexpected turn after the start

When the race began, Pär encountered a problem with his boat’s rudder and had to return to the marina in Les Sables-d’Olonne, France. The boat needed to be lifted out of the water so that the issue could be probably inspected. Pär also needed to replenish his provisions before attempting to start again.

At that point, I started this GoFundMe as an emergency fundraiser to help him get back to sea. The response completely exceeded our expectations. Within a couple of days more than 100 people contributed, raising over 40,000 SEK / $4,000 / €3,600.

That money covered the lifting and relaunching the boat, getting more provisions and even a new wetsuit and other essential equipment - things that he otherwise would not have been able to afford.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make that possible!

It made us realize that people genuinely want to be a part of his journey.

So we are keeping the fundraiser going

Pär is out there sailing the race, but the financial reality of the project remains. This is what the money donated will help cover:

But these costs are not the main reason for this fundraiser. The bigger goal is to help offset what Pär has already invested.

Help Pär come home without financial stress

Using almost all of his savings and shares to make this dream possible means that he now has very little financial buffer left. So with this fundraiser, I am giving those who want to support him the opportunity to help give some financial security back.

I would love for my pappa to be able to cross the finish line, take a breath, and comfortably sail back home to Sweden without immediately having to worry about getting back to work simply to be able to support himself. It would mean the world to me if he could instead have some breathing room after everything he has put into this project.

And I know how much it will mean to him, while he is out there sailing, to hear that people are still supporting him. One of the greatest joys for me throughout this journey has already been being able to tell my dad, over the SSB radio, that another donation has come in — that more people have chosen to believe in him and contribute to his dream.

Be part of the journey

Whether you have been following Pär since the beginning, discovered him through the Golden Globe Race, or simply think that attempting to sail solo around the world is a pretty extraordinary thing to do — thank you for being here.

Every donation, regardless of its size, helps.

And if you cannot donate, sharing this fundraiser with someone who might enjoy following Pär’s journey is enormously helpful too.

Thank you for supporting my pappa, Pär Nyman, for following his adventure, and helping keep this project alive.

Fair winds, pappa Pär!