Before you move on with this read, we invite you to try to imagine the Atlantic Ocean. It’s so vast you can hardly imagine it? We feel you. We feel the same. However, this won’t stop Erdal Luso from Struga, North Macedonia to embark on a solo-journey across the Atlantic on his self-crafted five meters plywood sailboat.
Crucial parts of Pixel are built out of wood planted by Luso’s grandfather in the backyard of his home in Struga. The process of building the boat himself has been grounding and emotional for Erdal — offering him the chance to reflect on how water and land are intertwined — giving him a chance to explore his own roots and memories. In his own words, it’s a beautiful thing to know that a piece of land, a tree that grew in their yard, will soon accompany him in his solo-sailing across the Atlantic.
The Setka Atlantic Challenge is — as Erdal puts it — beautifully difficult and brutally honest. Joined by few, it is a non-stop, solo transatlantic challenge where every sailor builds their own Setka class boat — usually the Setka A or Setka B — both small plywood sailboats designed by Janusz Maderski.
Coming from North Macedonia, a country not known for sailing, this journey across the ocean is more than a personal endeavor for Erdal, it is a mission to convey the message that you don’t have to come from a coastal country to chase ocean dreams.
Currently under preparation for the Setka Atlantic Challenge 2025, Luso reflects on his connection with waters that were always close to him, geographically and emotionally, “It’s like the water had been calling me quietly for years before I finally answered,” he says.
Read our interview with him below, before he embarks on his Atlantic journey on November 11, taking the Leg 1 route of the challenge from Sagres (Southern Portugal) to Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands) and then moving on to Leg 2 of the journey, from Tenerife to the meridian at 61 degrees West, between Martinique and Santa Lucia.
WeBalkans: When did you first notice your love for sailing, and what is your connection with the waters around you, close to you?
Erdal Luso: I can’t really point to a single moment, it’s more like the water had been calling me quietly for years before I finally answered. As a kid, I was always drawn to water — rivers, lakes, rain, anything that moved and reflected light. There’s something about it that always felt like home, even though I didn’t grow up by the ocean. Sailing offshore came later, but once I felt the boat lean under wind and the water hissed by, I knew, this is it. It’s not just a sport; it’s a dialogue with something much bigger than me.
WeBalkans: You are building your sailboat out of wood from your own backyard, from trees planted by your grandfather. Can you tell us more about this process? How did you come up with the idea and has it been emotional for you to look into this connection between earth and water?
Erdal Luso: Some crucial parts of Pixel come from trees planted by my grandfather in our backyard, and that means a lot to me. The rest came from nearby forests, but those few planks carry memories and roots. Building her by hand was more than a technical process, it was emotional, grounding. Every piece of wood had its own story. It’s a beautiful thought that a piece of land, a tree that grew in our yard, will soon sail across the ocean.
WeBalkans: What is the drive behind taking on this very challenging enterprise as the World Atlantic Challenge? Do you go through a process of weighing pros and cons, what is your thought process behind such a decision?
Erdal Luso: I’ve always been drawn to challenges that make me feel both scared and alive. The Setka Challenge is exactly that — beautifully difficult and brutally honest. You build your own boat, sail it solo, and you’re fully responsible for everything that happens. There’s no one to rely on but yourself. That purity is what I love. I didn’t really make a list of pros and cons. I just knew that if I didn’t do it, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.
WeBalkans: Is there a sense of mission to promote your own story and the story of your city/country worldwide, considering that this will be the first time that someone from North Macedonia will take on such a challenge? If yes, what message do you want to convey with the expedition?
Erdal Luso: Definitely. North Macedonia isn’t known as a sailing nation, and that’s part of what makes this meaningful. I want to show the world that you don’t have to come from a coastal country to chase ocean dreams. You can start from a small place, with a big heart and a lot of determination, and end up somewhere vast. This is not just my personal story, it’s a reminder that limits are often imaginary.
WeBalkans: You must be thinking a lot about your time alone with the ocean, how are you imagining it now? Is there thrill, or are you most at peace when in the water?
Erdal Luso: I imagine it as a mix of everything — fear, peace, freedom, laughter, and a lot of silence. There will be storms, calm days, moments of doubt, and moments of pure magic. But that’s the beauty of it. Out there, you can’t pretend. The ocean reflects exactly who you are, your strengths, your weaknesses, your truth. I think I’ll find both challenge and peace in that.
WeBalkans: When did you first notice your love for sailing, and what is your connection with the waters around you, close to you?
Erdal Luso: I can’t really point to a single moment, it’s more like the water had been calling me quietly for years before I finally answered. As a kid, I was always drawn to water — rivers, lakes, rain, anything that moved and reflected light. There’s something about it that always felt like home, even though I didn’t grow up by the ocean. Sailing offshore came later, but once I felt the boat lean under wind and the water hissed by, I knew, this is it. It’s not just a sport; it’s a dialogue with something much bigger than me.
WeBalkans: You are building your sailboat out of wood from your own backyard, from trees planted by your grandfather. Can you tell us more about this process? How did you come up with the idea and has it been emotional for you to look into this connection between earth and water?
Erdal Luso: Some crucial parts of Pixel come from trees planted by my grandfather in our backyard, and that means a lot to me. The rest came from nearby forests, but those few planks carry memories and roots. Building her by hand was more than a technical process, it was emotional, grounding. Every piece of wood had its own story. It’s a beautiful thought that a piece of land, a tree that grew in our yard, will soon sail across the ocean.
WeBalkans: What is the drive behind taking on this very challenging enterprise as the World Atlantic Challenge? Do you go through a process of weighing pros and cons, what is your thought process behind such a decision?
Erdal Luso: I’ve always been drawn to challenges that make me feel both scared and alive. The Setka Challenge is exactly that — beautifully difficult and brutally honest. You build your own boat, sail it solo, and you’re fully responsible for everything that happens. There’s no one to rely on but yourself. That purity is what I love. I didn’t really make a list of pros and cons. I just knew that if I didn’t do it, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.
WeBalkans: Is there a sense of mission to promote your own story and the story of your city/country worldwide, considering that this will be the first time that someone from North Macedonia will take on such a challenge? If yes, what message do you want to convey with the expedition?
Erdal Luso: Definitely. North Macedonia isn’t known as a sailing nation, and that’s part of what makes this meaningful. I want to show the world that you don’t have to come from a coastal country to chase ocean dreams. You can start from a small place, with a big heart and a lot of determination, and end up somewhere vast. This is not just my personal story, it’s a reminder that limits are often imaginary.
WeBalkans: You must be thinking a lot about your time alone with the ocean, how are you imagining it now? Is there thrill, or are you most at peace when in the water?
Erdal Luso: I imagine it as a mix of everything — fear, peace, freedom, laughter, and a lot of silence. There will be storms, calm days, moments of doubt, and moments of pure magic. But that’s the beauty of it. Out there, you can’t pretend. The ocean reflects exactly who you are, your strengths, your weaknesses, your truth. I think I’ll find both challenge and peace in that.
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