Tapio Lehtinen is a passionate man: passionate about his boats, passionate about preserving the legacy of Finland’s maritime heritage and passionate about nurturing young sailing talent.
The Finnish skipper’s voice cracks slightly as he describes the flotilla of Optimist dinghy sailors who greeted him on his arrival in Helsinki after finishing fifth the 2018-19 Golden Globe Race. For him, it is a more cherished memory than finishing his 322-day solo circumnavigation of the world and ranks equal to hoisting the Finnish flag as he rounded Cape Horn; the first time it has been raised there on a racing boat in three decades.
‘It was a very touching moment,’ reflected the 62-year-old, who is modest about his role in youth sailing. As Commodore of Helsingfors Segelsällskap (HSS) Yacht Club he focused on developing young sailors, and when the Optimist class started declining in Finland a decade ago, Lehtinen helped arrange sponsorship to cover the cost of 300 new dinghies for clubs throughout the country, reversing the class’s decline.
It is no surprise that the Optimist is close to his heart; it was his first boat at the age of seven before he moved on to racing Lasers and 470s. He had dreams of an Olympic career but unable to find a sponsor turned instead to ocean racing, competing in the traditional Round Gotland Race, now AF Offshore Race, before being picked as watch leader on Skopbank of Finland in the 1981-82 Whitbread Round the World Race. He was 23.
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