The preservation of historic yachts is more than just a philosophy - it is a passionate life's work for countless enthusiasts worldwide. The 12th Classic Yacht Symposium has now taken place in the Finnish capital, bringing together many of these enthusiasts. The focus of the event was not only the exchange of experiences, but above all the task of building a bridge between the traditional past of classic yachting and its future-oriented development.
Finnish fascination for classic yachts
And the interest was great: according to the organisers, the more than 300 tickets were sold out in less than three weeks. Hardly a seat remained free in the Finnish music hall Musiikkitalo. There were certainly two reasons for this: Firstly, the Finns are considered to be enthusiastic fans and active sailors of classic yachts. Secondly, the organisers succeeded in bringing prominent sailing personalities to the Scandinavian metropolis as speakers.
One of them was the Brit Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, winner of the first solo race around the world in 1968/69 and holder of the Jules Verne Trophy. He stands for sailing adventures on historic and modern boats like few others. But he represents more, says John Lammerts van Bueren, one of the chairmen of the Classic Yacht Symposium Committee. "He won the first race around the world. He is a living legend. But at the same time, he is not someone who lives in the past. He has a clear vision for the future."
Over 7,000 ocean crossings made possible
Today, Knox-Johnston brings offshore sailing to a wide audience with the "Clipper Round the World Race". According to his own figures, the format has helped more than 7,000 people to cross the ocean. Now 86 years old, the Brit is working on a new fleet, he says.
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However, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was not the only person and story to succeed in turning the spotlight from the past to the future. Another outstanding example was the French sailor Marie Tabarly.
A life with classic yachts
She is the daughter of the famous French sailor Éric Tabarly. The 41-year-old has recently emerged from his shadow and attracted attention with her impressive sailing performances. Most recently she sailed was the first to cross the finish line in the Ocean Globe Race 2023/2024 with the "Pen Duick VI". In Helsinki, she shared her experiences and talked about her own journey there.
She grew up on a gaff cutter from 1898 from the "Pen Duick" series. This is a series of successful ocean racing yachts of the same name, sailed by Éric Tabarly and now by his daughter. After her youth on board, she moved on to other classic regatta yachts - including the "Mariska". Today, she associates elegance, respect and a lot of hard work with life on board such classic yachts, she says.
She is now looking to the future. "The fragility of sailing is huge," says Tabarly. That's why preserving the sport and the classic yachts is so important. She wants to contribute to this and will soon be founding the Tabarly Academy, where young people will be trained to become experienced offshore sailors on board the historic "Pen Duicks".
"It takes people who take a risk"
One person who has made classic yachting more accessible to the general public than almost anyone else is the British boat builder Leo Goolden. He documented the restoration of his "Tally Ho" on camera and published the videos on YouTube. More than half a million people now follow him on the platform and his fan base is growing steadily.
When asked what explains his success, the British boat builder answers, among other things:
"In a world where risks are heavily managed, we need people who take a risk, accept the risk and stick with it with determination."
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Singoala Award: Outstanding commitment
With his hands-on and likeable manner, he has shown new ways in which the sport can be made accessible through innovative approaches, according to the symposium committee. For this reason, Goolden, alongside King Harald of Norway, was honoured with the Singoalla Award for his commitment to classic yachts.
The prize is awarded annually to an individual or institution that has made a significant contribution to the mission of the Helsinki Symposium. The aim of the Symposium is to strengthen the links between classic yacht sailors and to promote a deeper understanding of the history, present and future perspectives of classic yachting.
The Classic Yacht Symposium took place for the first time in 2011 with 30 participants and has grown steadily since then, reports John Lammerts van Bueren. The event is still organised on a voluntary basis. "We do this out of passion for the boats and the sport. It's our way of giving something back," says Lammerts van Bueren.
Inspiration and innovation
The historical part, which offered a look back at the heyday of classic yacht design and construction, was provided by American Steve Tsuchiya. He is a leading yacht historian, member of the New York Yacht Club and chairman of the selection committee of the America's Cup Hall of Fame. In his lecture, he revived the legendary America's Cup race of 1934 between the British "Endeavour" and the US "Rainbow".
The Swede Claes Hultling, who impressed the audience with his inspiring life story, offered a completely different perspective. The doctor suffered a spinal cord injury in a diving accident and became paraplegic. Over the course of his life, he managed to turn this challenge into sporting success. Among other things, Hultling represented Sweden in the 2.4mR class at the 2000 Summer Paralympic Games in Sydney.
Today, he shows people with spinal cord injuries new perspectives through sailing, among other things. In addition to a Nordic folk boat, he converted an 8mR yacht so that wheelchair users can sail on it and goes on trips to the Stockholm archipelago.
Sailing in two worlds
However, the symposium also provided a stage for numerous up-and-coming young talents - including the young Finnish sailmaker and sailor Viivi Moisio. She took part in the Ocean Globe Race 2023/24 and also actively sails in the 6mR yacht class. She appreciates the community within the classic yacht scene: "Unlike perhaps in other classes, everyone is welcome here," she says. The number of young classic sailors has risen sharply in the last four years, mainly thanks to the commitment of Ruissalon Telakka, the historic boatyard in Turku. In 2027, Moisio plans to cross the Atlantic with a self-built Globe 5.80 boat in the "Globe 5.80 Transat".
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Another up-and-coming young sailor is Aaro Immonen. He also lives in both worlds - that of ocean racing and classic yachts. He appreciates the physicality associated with classic yachts; the entire crew is required to control the boat during manoeuvres, he says. The young Finn is currently planning a new project. Together with others, he wants to put together an international team of under-30s for the Ocean Globe Race 2027 - and win the race around the world. He presented the new project at the Classic Yacht Symposium.
Looking to the future
It is young sailors such as Viivi Moisio and Aaro Immonen that the symposium wants to offer a stage to: "We are trying to attract not only 50 per cent Nordic participants, but also 50 per cent international participants - the same applies to young and old," says William J. Collier, who is also a member of the Helsinki Classic Yacht Symposium Committee. Although the goal has not yet been fully achieved, Collier says they are on the right track. "We want to preserve what other generations have achieved. Otherwise it will cease to exist at some point."
Classic Yacht Symposium 2026 with more space
And planning for the next symposium is already in full swing. It is certain that it will take place again in March. However, according to the organisers, the exact date is still open. What is certain, however, is that a larger venue will be considered for 2026 in order to do justice to the growing interest in classic sailing.
