Tapio onboard Galiana with his grandson Emil

Tapio Lehtinen is a lifetime sailor and
keenly in love with the Oceans of the World.

Tapio’s first circumnavigation took place in 1981, as he participated in the Whitbread Round the World Race as the watch captain onboard Skopbank of Finland. The second round was the Golden Globe Race 2018, in which he finished 5th. Thousands of barnacles stuck to the bottom of his boat made the journey arduous. Still, with the true Finnish spirit, Tapio sailed and crossed the finish line and became the first Finn to have raced single-handed nonstop around the world.

It’s fair to say the first GGR competition left Tapio with a bone to pick with the barnacles. He wanted to give himself and her beloved Asteria boat another chance, and in September 2022, he started the Golden Globe Race 2022, ready to fight for victory seriously. Everything was going smoothly, and Tapio was sailing second in the race. But then, on Friday, 18th November 2022, dramatic news reached us: Asteria had suddenly sunk. Tapio spent about a day on the life raft, after which his fellow competitor Kirsten Neuschäfer rescued him to her boat. From Kirsten’s boat, Tapio boarded the cargo ship Darya Gayatri, which took him to Indonesia and finally back home.

His following big race was in 2023 Ocean Globe Race 2023, the 50th-anniversary race of Whitbread, which was first sailed in 1973. Like the GGR, the OGR is sailed with traditional boats and methods. For this race, Tapio gathered a group of next-generation ocean sailors. Their boat was the classic Swan 55 yawl, Galiana, which the team prepared for the round-the-world sailing that started in September 2023.

On my voyages around the world, I have witnessed firsthand how nature has changed. The biodiversity has narrowed and continues to do so; there are fewer birds, fewer fish, fewer sea mammals. All the trash in the sea and the smog above the shipping routes are giving a strong signal.

As someone who loves nature and the sea, and also speaking as a grandfather, I want to take action to preserve this beautiful planet for generations to come. In my future projects, I want to work in cooperation with companies and organizations that are part of the solution, not part of the problem. I want to promote innovations, concrete solutions, and ways as to what we can do, to keep our planet clean, diverse, and viable.

We still have time to put it right!

Tapio Lehtinen sign

Tapio Lehtinen
tapio.a.lehtinen@gmail.com
+358 40 049 5678
Waves

The Call of the Ocean is a documentary film about
Tapio's first Golden Globe Race in 2018-19

Don McIntyre talks about Tapio's coming projects

"Tapion Aava" is a short film that sheds light on the man behind sailing.

Tapio's Book is Available Now!

» Order now from Amazon!

Last year, when I was in Panama, Tapio Lehtinen asked if I would help him with this book, mainly smoothing out his English. I was honored to be asked, and soon I was not only editing, but converting third-person past tense to first person present tense. Then I asked for his ship's logs and started adding to the story, doubling its length. I was engrossed in the writing at this point, and felt like I was sailing around the world in the Southern Ocean, alone in a 36' boat, but handling the cold and violent seas like a seasoned veteran of the ocean. This is how I hope you will feel when you read it.

– Paul Trammell

Hear the full story from the man himself!

Tapio is an inspiring speaker for your event.

A successful career as an Industrial Engineer with experience in strategic planning and leading teams in various organisations. Life-long sailor with two circumnavigations done and two more planned. He’s been around, so to speak. With respect to the current state of the world, Tapio sure knows something about being remote, alone, and isolated.

Always be prepared for the worst. Be scared beforehand, so that you don’t have to be when the going gets tough. Trusting your team, sharing common goals, adapting to new challenges, and finally making your dreams a reality. These are just some of the themes Tapio will be touching on. Not to forget his first-hand experience on the global state of the environment. Tapio has devoted his future to the future of our common planet.

The presentation can be delivered in English, Finnish, or Swedish.

Contact: tapio.a.lehtinen@gmail.com, +358 40 049 5678

Tapio Lehtinen
Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
I got permission of Seahorse to post the article on fb - so here you are:).
The story of the pic on the cover is that it was taken on my birthday last Jan after the start of the third leg from Auckland. At the dinner a bottle of NZ wine 19 Sins was served and someone in the crew noted that there was a clear resemblance between myself and the sinner on the label.
Thursday January 9th, 2025

I got permission of Seahorse to post the article on fb - so here you are:).
The story of the pic on the cover is that it was taken on my birthday last Jan after the start of the third leg from Auckland. At the dinner a bottle of NZ wine "19 Sins" was served and someone in the crew noted that there was a clear resemblance between myself and the sinner on the label.
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Comment on Facebook

Yes! Kohti uusia haasteita. Spurs.

Loistavaa toimintaa Tapio & team.

I want to wish all our followers a Merry Christmas by sharing with you this heartfelt Christmas card received from a young Norwegian friend of mine who has followed the GGR and OGR races with his class in the Langestrand skole, Larvik, Norway. The oceans and sailing unite people of all ages, races and nationalities. Lets strive to make the world even better and safer place for these growing generations! Tapio
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo_Aax_2oF0
Monday December 23rd, 2024

I want to wish all our followers a Merry Christmas by sharing with you this heartfelt Christmas card received from a young Norwegian friend of mine who has followed the GGR and OGR races with his class in the Langestrand skole, Larvik, Norway. The oceans and sailing unite people of all ages, races and nationalities. Let's strive to make the world even better and safer place for these growing generations! Tapio
m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo_Aax_2oF0
... See MoreSee Less

Comment on Facebook

All the Best and Fair Winds for the coming New Year 2025!

Definitely . Happy Christmas and Best wishes for 2025

Hyvää joulua!

Back in Finland after two weeks of translation workshop on Paul Trammels Cartwright 40 s/y Windflower anchored outside Bocas det Toro, Panama. Quite a contrast, temperature drop of almost 40C! Best Google translations, laskimme lipun (we lowered the flag) = we counted the ticket, Pian punkka paaralla (Pias bunk on the port side) = Soon tick stretcher etc etc, two weeks of long, sweaty days...  Now Paul will be refining the texts of the GGR 2022 and OGR 2023 books. Sorry, didnt get them ready for Xmas...
Tuesday December 17th, 2024

Back in Finland after two weeks of translation workshop on Paul Trammel's Cartwright 40 s/y Windflower anchored outside Bocas det Toro, Panama. Quite a contrast, temperature drop of almost 40C! Best Google translations, "laskimme lipun" (we lowered the flag) = we counted the ticket, Pian punkka paaralla (Pia's bunk on the port side) = Soon tick stretcher etc etc, two weeks of long, sweaty days... Now Paul will be refining the texts of the GGR 2022 and OGR 2023 books. Sorry, didn't get them ready for Xmas... ... See MoreSee Less

Comment on Facebook

Congratulations on the translation work, the sail, and the safe return. The photos capture the joy of return, and hint at the complexities of the journey. Well done!

Käännöskirjoja odotellessa! Spurs.

While we are working already for the second week on the English translations of our GGR 2022 and OGR 2023 books in Bocas del Toro, Panama, Paul Trammel also has the time for the occasional podcast done from the saloon of Windflower with help of Starlink. 
Every morning in the dark he disappears with the dinghy to the nearby reefs for his daily session of surfing, pics from today.
Tuesday December 10th, 2024

While we are working already for the second week on the English translations of our GGR 2022 and OGR 2023 books in Bocas del Toro, Panama, Paul Trammel also has the time for the occasional podcast done from the saloon of Windflower with help of Starlink.
Every morning in the dark he disappears with the dinghy to the nearby reefs for his daily session of surfing, pics from today.
... See MoreSee Less

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