Home - Tapio Lehtinen Sailing

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.

However, the next race is waiting right around the corner: Ocean Globe Race 2023 is 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 has gathered a group of next-generation ocean sailors. Their boat is a classic Swan 55 yawl, Galiana, which the team is currently preparing for the round-the-world sailing that will start 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
tapio.a.lehtinen@gmail.com
+358 40 049 5678

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

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

Letter from Tapio, October 20, 2022 >>

Tapio's Book is Available Now!

Hear the full story from the man himself!

FOLLOW THE JOURNEY

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

Letter from Tapio, October 20, 2022 >>

Tapio's Book is Available Now!

Hear the full story from the man himself!

FOLLOW THE JOURNEY

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