THE STORY

Since 2019 Jussi Paavoseppä has been looking for a boat to participate in the OGR that has a special place in the history of Finnish sail racing, in addition to good seaworthiness.

In 2022 this dream came true and Spirit of Helsinki was returned to its homeland, Finland. It’s a delight to bring one of the Finnish ocean sailing legends around the world again with a great Finnish crew.

Crew

Skipper

Jussi Paavoseppä is the captain of Spirit of Helsinki and the driving force behind the project. He is a 44-year-old father of three children and a hotel entrepreneur. Jussi loves experiences. He has been active on the water since he was young, raced in Dragon class and even crossed the Atlantic in less than ten days. Jussi expects 100% calmness and concentration on sailing without external distractions from the OGR race. Creating lifelong friendships and experiences with other sailors will be one of the greatest gifts of the race. Not seeing the children and their development worries me. My wife will be fine – she’s a force of nature!

First Mate

Pasi Palmu is a 47-year-old sea captain and professional sailor. He has an extensive sail racing background which continues to this day. He has worked as a full-time racing sailor and sailing coach for over 15 years. In the project, Pasi is responsible for sailing and safety. He makes sure that the team will not take unnecessary risks, however, keeping a good pace throughout the demanding race. From the actual competition, he is especially looking forward to the time when sailing becomes a routine for the crew. Then you can only focus on the sea and competition – enjoy. He is also sure that they will experience many great and funny moments during the competition.

No.	Name, Nationality	Sex, Age
1	Jussi Paavoseppä, FIN, Skipper	M, 44
2	Matti Antilla, FIN	M
3	Jouko Kallio, FIN	M
4	Tommi Uksila, FIN	M, 52
5	Aaro Immonen, FIN	M, 21
6	Hilla Paananen, FIN, Boat Manager	F
7	Ian Herbert-Jones, GBR, First Mate 2-4	M
8	Pasi Palmu, FIN, First Mate 1	M, 47
9	Ari Kokko, FIN	M, 39
10	Veera Toivanen, FIN	F
11	Kai Ylikangas, FIN	M, 47
12	Kenneth Rehn	M
13	Lucas Kalermo	M
14	Antero Ata Kaukonen	M
15	Mika von Svetlick
16	Topi Simola
17	Jussi Nyrölä, FIN	M, 44
18	Oula-Matti Tuominen, FIN	M
19	Markus Hongisto, FIN	M
20	Panu Toppinen, FIN	M, 59
21	Tapani Hollmen, FIN	M, 46
22	Jyrki Korhonen, FIN	M, 43
23	Johanna von Bruun	F
24	Jukka Hoperauoho, FIN	M, 45
25	Pekka Raatikainen, FIN	M, 55
26	Niklas Saxen, FIN	M

Spirit of Helsinki – A Special Boat!

Spirit of Helsinki, Swan 651 was built in 1984. It was designed by naval architect German Frers and built by Nautor, the legendary Finnish ship producer of luxury sailing yachts, based in Jakobstad. She competed in the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1986 under the name “Fazer Finland” and finished third in the most demanding and longest sailing race in the world. The SWAN 651 is undoubtedly one of the best and most unique models ever made. It was built specifically for participation in the Whitbread Round the World Race.