On August 1, 1986, Ove arrived at Langelinie in Copenhagen after 42 lonely days in his small wooden boat, the Diana Victoria. He had set sail from his hometown, Nólsoy, on July 1, marking his third attempt to achieve his great goal: to row to Denmark and kiss the Little Mermaid.

Ove accomplished what many thought was impossible, driven by a strong will to prove them wrong. His journey put the Faroe Islands and Nólsoy on the world map, and to this day, no one has had the same courage to follow in his footsteps.

Sadly, the Faroese people lost their folk hero in a tragic accident aboard the boat that meant the most to him—Diana Victoria. 

Before Ove passed away, he promised the children of Nólsoy that he would use his prize money to build a swimming pool for them—because all children should learn to swim. “Only a fool does not fear the Sea,” he said, and it was close to his heart that the children could swim.

After Ove’s death, the association Stuđulsnevndin fyri Svimjihyl í Nólsoy was founded. They worked tirelessly to raise funds through the annual “Ovastevna” which is still held every August in Ove’s honor. The efforts to build the swimming pool were hindered by bank crashes and inflation, which outpaced the funds being raised.

Today, the children of Nólsoy have other opportunities to swim in Tórshavn. The connection between Nólsoy and Tórshavn is so good that building a swimming pool is no longer relevant.

But what can we do to honor the man who gave so much?

We still have the memories and the boat—Diana Victoria.

Stuđulsnevndin feels that it is now our duty to ensure that this story is never forgotten, and that the boat will forever have its permanent place in Nólsoy – And here you have it:
WELCOME TO OVASAVN!