About Me

My name is Bohdana Semenova, and I am a sailor from Ukraine.

I have been on boats for as long as I can remember. I started sailing at the age of eight on the Dnipro River in Kyiv, racing dinghies and later becoming a Ukrainian Optimist champion. What began as a sport gradually became a way of life.

As I grew older, I moved from racing to offshore sailing and began building experience on larger boats. At eighteen, I obtained my first skipper’s certificate. Since then, I have built my own crew, taught sailing, raced, and organised charters.

In 2022, I left Ukraine with no clear plan — only a desire to see the world and find my place in it. That journey led me across oceans and continents: multiple Atlantic crossings, seasons in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, professional sailing work in the USA, and advanced offshore qualifications.

In 2024, I rounded Cape Horn, becoming the first Ukrainian woman to do so. After that, I spent months sailing in Chilean Patagonia, where strong winds, isolation, and raw nature tested everything I had learned.

Somewhere along the way, the idea of a solo circumnavigation stopped feeling like a distant dream and became the natural next step. All the miles, storms, crossings, and quiet moments at sea seemed to be leading in the same direction.

I knew I was ready — not because I felt fearless, but because the ocean had taught me how to listen, adapt, and stay present. At sea, life becomes simple, honest, and real, and that is where I feel most alive.

Now I am preparing for my biggest challenge yet: a solo non-stop circumnavigation aboard Estra — the boat that has been part of my story since the very beginning.

I am inspired by people who choose curiosity, courage, and commitment to their dreams. If this journey encourages even one person to take their own step into the unknown, then it will already have fulfilled its purpose.