SKIPPER, RYA OCEAN YACHTMASTER

Tapio Lehtinen is one of the world's most accomplished ocean-racing skippers, with a sailing career spanning over five decades. He has circumnavigated the globe multiple times, including as watch captain in the legendary Whitbread Round the World Race and as the fifth finisher in the 2018 Golden Globe Race, where he circumnavigated non-stop in 322 days.

In 2023 he skippered the classic S&S Swan 55 yawl Galiana in the Ocean Globe Race with a young team. Tapio is known for his passion for classic yachts, commitment to youth sailing, and deep respect for maritime and yachting heritage.

As skipper of Galiana, Tapio offers guests the chance to experience true offshore sailing alongside a seasoned professional. Whether exploring the Helsinki archipelago or embarking on longer ocean adventures, sailing with Tapio means joining a living legend who combines adventure, safety, and a love for the sea.

TEAM MANAGER, RYA OFFSHORE YACHTMASTER

Born in 1973, spent the childhood summers sailing on a Folkboat in the Finnish archipelago with her family, in early adulthood years sailed with friends in the same waters. Got involved in youth sailing with her three kids, organizing the club youth program together with Tapio and ended up becoming the Chairman of the Finnish Sailing Federation Youth Sailing Committee. Her daughter sailed in the 2024 Olympics.

Pia acted as Tapio's team manager in the 2022 Golden Globe Race and got her baptism of fire being the first one to hear the news of Tapio's boat having stopped sending tracker information, meaning it had sank and taking then care of communications with family, team, media, sponsors as the situation finally unfolded luckily into his rescue from the life raft 25 hrs later by Kirsten Neuschafer. She continued as the team manager in the OGR project and sailed around the world onboard Galiana in the race also responsible for the first aid and medication. As the OGR youth project was financed through corporate partnerships, Pia as the team manager has been responsible for organizing the numerous outings we have organized with our corporate guests during the years.

Ashore Pia works as the Health and Safety manager at IBM Finland, having a versatile schooling as a certified nurse with additional studies of vocational health care and work safety.

BOAT CAPTAIN

Oskari Häkkilä started sailing relatively late, at the age of 24, six years ago, stepping directly into offshore sailing after buying his own boat. Since then, he has built experience on the Baltic Sea, as well as on the Atlantic and in the Caribbean, taking part in offshore races and deliveries, and joining the Galiana project from the RORC Baltic 600 2024 onwards.

His home waters are in the northern Baltic, where much of his sailing background is rooted.

On board Galiana, Oskari is responsible for the boat’s technical side, looking after systems and helping to keep things running as they should, both at sea and in harbour.

He is known for staying calm and in good spirits, even when conditions are less than ideal. His approach is steady and practical, shaped by his background working with heavy machinery across Europe.

Oskari enjoys sailing in all its forms, but especially longer passages, where the rhythm of life at sea settles in and the passage itself becomes the focus.