The Hanse 470e with the name “Kontrakorriente” is the boat operated and owned by Dreams & Adventures S.L.
The company Dreams & Adventures was founded in 1996 by the Spanish entrepreneur and adventurer Andreu Mateu.
Andreu Mateu is a man who has always tried to follow his dreams.
In 1986 Andreu graduated from ESADE Business School with a degree in Economics and an MBA and went to New York with a backpack full of dreams.
After 5 years of experience working as an executive in New York, he stopped and decided he needed a change of address. He disconnected the phone from his house, took time to reflect on his dreams and made a list of all the objectives he had: flying through the air, navigating the oceans, diving into the deepest seas, crossing deserts, climbing mountains and explore the world, know their countries, their peoples and their different cultures.
Experiencing the different forms that the planet takes was the main objective that was clear for Andreu. Therefore, he thought of the idea of organizing a trip around the world, with three objectives in mind: to travel through as many countries as possible, using many different types of transport, while succeeding in a series of different challenges, exploring their own limits to the maximum.
A few weeks later, Andreu decided to leave his job in the Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in New York and sell all his possessions, to fulfill his dreams, in an expedition, which he had already called “The Transcovery project”.
An incredible trip around the world …
On August 11, 1992, Andreu tied a pair of inline skates and left Spain to begin his new adventure. During the three years and two months during which the expedition was carried out, he traveled with a video camera, a camera and a laptop. With this team, Andreu was able to record his adventure, which led him to risk his life several times.
In pursuit of his dream around the world, Andreu swam across the Strait of Gibraltar, crossed the Atlantic Ocean alone on a 30-foot sailboat, toured Europe by bicycle, and crossed the entire length of Africa by motorbike from north to south.
In October 1995 Andreu returned to Spain with more than 12,000 photographs and 170 hours of video. While organizing all this material for your inspirational conferences, travel articles and radio programs; the prestigious international consultancy Coopers & Lybrand asked him to take charge of the organization of an Outdoor training program.
Aware of the benefits that “The Transcovery Project” had done for his person, having fulfilled his dreams and adventures by pushing himself towards his own limits, Andreu was willing to share his inspiration and experiences with the commercial world. As it is the staff that determines the efficiency of any organization, it identified an opportunity for companies to benefit from Motivation and Team Building courses. Consequently, he decided to dedicate the rest of his life to the construction of the company Dreams & Adventures, in order to express his belief in determination. In 2006 he decided to challenge himself with a new dream: to cross the Atlantic alone. In March 2007 he arrived on the island of Martinique, after rowing for 94 days from the island of La Gomera and became the first Spanish person to cross the Atlantic rowing. In recognition of his achievement, he received the award: “International Prize to the Sports Hazaña” (“International Prize at the Sports Achievement” of the Spanish sports newspaper “Marca.” In 2007 he decided to invest through Dreams & Adventures on a Hanse 470e yacht to be able to offer navigation to its international clients.
Summary
Andreu Mateu Lamas was born in Reus, Tarragona, in 1962. He is an entrepreneur, an adventurer, a sailor, a globe-trotter and a professional speaker.
In 1986, he obtained a degree in Business Administration and an MBA from ESADE University.
In 1987, he obtained a diploma in tourism and business management activities issued by the CETT of Barcelona.
In 1988, he began his career at the “Barcelona Development Agency” in New York by promoting Barcelona as an ideal place for North American companies to set up offices in Europe.
In 1989, he became Deputy Director of the Department of Industrial Products of the Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in New York.
In 1991, he realized that he needed a change in his life.
In December 1991, he presented his resignation to the Spanish commercial office and devoted himself entirely to preparing the “greatest dream of his life”.
In January of 1992, he moved to Miami (USA) and began to learn to fly airplanes.
In May of 1992, he flew to Puerto Rico where he boarded a sailboat to cross the Atlantic.
In August of 1992, he put on a pair of skates and skated on the Tibidabo mountain, in Barcelona. This was the first step of the “Transcovery Project”, which took him all over the world through 120 countries, with more than 130 different means of transport, overcoming many adventures in order to challenge himself as much as he could.
For three years and two months, he traveled all over the world and overcame all the challenges he faced.
Some of the challenges he has overcome are:
Be the first person to skate from Barcelona to Reus (110 km) (1992).
Be the first person to sail from Barcelona to the Balearic Islands in a “Catalan Skate” (1992).
Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar swimming in 5 hours and 16 minutes (1992)
Cross the Atlantic alone in a 9-meter sailboat for 94 days (1993).
Buenos Aires to San Diego driving a 4 × 4 (36,000 kilometers) (1993).
Running the Marathon from Marathon to Athens (1994).
Copenhagen to Rome by bicycle (1994).
Rodeo of Africa on a motorcycle (50,000 kilometers).
Summarizing; 120 countries in 130 means of transport.
Upon his arrival in 1996, he decided to put together all his adventure, self-motivation and business experience by founding Dreams & Adventures, a company specializing in the organization of events, Outdoor Training, and motivational speeches.
In 1997 he participated in the famous Paris-Dakar Rally. In the seventh stage, he is forced to abandon his mission due to a severe accident that resulted in a broken clavicle.
In 2002 he was awarded the Gold Medal. Tourism of the Generalitat of Catalonia, official prize of the Catalan Government, the Generalitat de Catalunya.
In 2006 he decides to get another incredible challenge. Alone across the Atlantic rowing without help.
January 2007 part of “La Gomera” in a rowing boat.
March 2007 arrives on the island of Martinique after 94 days paddling in the Atlantic and becomes the first Spanish person to cross the Atlantic rowing.
Later, in 2007 he received the Guinness Book of Records Certificate as the first Spaniard to cross the Atlantic Ocean alone and without assistance.
In 2008 he was awarded the Hazaña Deportiva del Año International Award issued by the Spanish sports magazine “Marca”.
Today he works as a speaker, event organizer, and businessman. He is currently working on two books that will soon be published.
