S/V Leonora: Scandinavian Cruising with a twist

For Erlend and Deniz Jensen – better known under their Instagram alias S/V Leonora – sailing became a recent passion. And despite what one might think, they have not been boat owners for years. Rather the opposite.

In 2022, they took delivery of S/V Leonora, an Elvstrøm Sails-powered Dufour 412, which was their first boat as a family. Prior to making the big jump and buying the 412, they had sailed with friends and family for five seasons - and rented boats, too.

They then met a local and very experienced sailor, who helped the couple to learn much more about sailing - and the rest is history.

This interview was originally made in the spring of 2025, and since then, Erlend and Deniz have upgraded to the new Dufour 44, which is aptly named Leonora II.

Sailing as a family

And the family was ready to set off for new adventures. Erlend and Deniz named SV Leonora after their two kids, Leo, 9, and Nora, 7, – a fitting name. And then they went on Instagram – mainly for friends and family to follow their journeys, but the account soon took off and became one of the big names in Scandinavian cruising.

- We are still surprised how much interest that Instagram account gained. We never had plans for anything commercial or anything. But it soon seemed like we had hit something for a broader audience. Many other accounts are all into perfect trimming, sailing the Caribbean or just producing this very professional content all the time. We are just ourselves, an easy-going family that just wants to share what we do – and of course to pick more inspiration for our own adventures, Erlend says. Deniz adds:

- We have many guests that want to learn more about Norway – and then there’s our way of sailing. We sail a lot, and even in the wintertime, whilst also having our two kids with us. Every time we are on the water, we try to make the most of the experience no matter the conditions. I think that has something to say as well, as we sail nine months every year, and even when the winter is about to start, the four of us still manage to get out and enjoy sailing. That’s also important, Deniz says.

Creature comforts

Especially the chance of sailing as much as possible as a family has been very important from day 1 for Deniz and Erlend. Keeping the right mood on the longer journeys makes it work, they say:

- We started this three years ago, and the kids were of course younger at that time. They enjoy sailing a lot, and we only really see them being challenged on longer runs such as sailing for 15 hours to Denmark. We try our best to make our journeys shorter to avoid this, and to keep spirits high in general. It’s simple – if they are happy, then we are, Erlend says and adds:

- It’s just like driving a big distance – they will also ask when we’re there, but the difference is that you just can’t stop and take a break in the same way here. That said, they love visiting and exploring new places, and the kids know nothing better than going to a new marina. This and then making sure that the boat feels homely and has some of the same creature comforts as you have at home, then you’ll get a long way, he points out.

‘Sea and ski’

- Our season starts early, and when we pick up sailing at the end of March, there’s still snow in the mountains here. We have a thing we just call Sea and Ski… There are a few places around here like Sauda, not far from Stavanger, where you can start the day sailing and then go skiing. It is a relatively local thing for us, but it’s just great to combine two hobbies into one. It’s super fun to have an extended weekend where you can go sail, go skiing and enjoy the nature all at once. Anchoring somewhere at the edge of the season has some magic in it for us – it can be 0 outside, but you are still warm and comfy onboard. It’s amazing, Erlend ends.

You can follow SV Leonora and their journeys on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cruising.norway.with.svleonora/