Unofficial translation of the Tulikettu article in Helsingin Sanomat, largest daily newspaper in the Nordic region and Finland’s most widely read paper.
Finnish boat smashed course record in the Mediterranean…
Ari Pusa
Approaching the harbour of Saint-Tropez, the crew of the Finnish boat Tulikettu knew even before crossing the finish line that something extraordinary was happening.
When the 52-foot offshore racing yacht surged through the Paprec 600 race course in late April, the old course record had been left far behind. The final time, two days 23 hours and 18 minutes, broke the previous race record by nearly 15 hours.
“I was pleased with the result, but not surprised,” says skipper Arto Linnervuo.
That says a lot about a project that has been patiently built over more than three years since the boat’s first race in January 2023.
Tulikettu’s development work to solve early-stage problems, particularly in upwind performance, began in earnest in October 2024. Since then, in addition to weight reduction, nearly all-important elements have been modified except the mast and its supporting rigging: the keel, rudder, water ballast tanks and bottom water flow management system (interceptor) have been redesigned, improved and replaced, enhancing especially the upwind performance and broadening possibilities for using the hydrofoil. The most recent major modification was completed just before Paprec 600 offshore race in France.
“We got a new rudder. It is shorter and narrower than the previous one, so there is less drag. Most importantly, however, it now works perfectly together with the new keel,” Linnervuo says.
Previously, according to Linnervuo, the boat’s keel and rudder did not fully work together as a pair. Now the whole package finally began to perform on the water the way it was intended on the drawing board.
An important contributor to the modifications has been New Zealander Andy Meiklejohn, who has distinguished himself in many demanding ocean races, along with his counterpart of Tulikettu Racing Team, Michael Wahlroos from Vaasa, Finland.
The result was the fastest Tulikettu ever seen on the water.
The breakthrough came particularly on the reaching legs, where Tulikettu’s special feature came into play. The boat has a retractable hydrofoil based on the DSS system, which adds lift and stability.
In the Fastnet, the world’s largest offshore sailing race, last July the foil could only be used for less than three hours due to light reaching winds.
Now in French and Italian waters, the wind strength and the wind angle required by the foil (reaching) aligned perfectly.
“We were able to sail with the foil for about ten hours. It was quite wild. Top speeds were close to 30 knots. They would have been over that, but the sea state became too challenging.”
In offshore sailing, gaps often develop slowly, minute by minute. In the Mediterranean, the Finnish boat pulled away from the competition by practically an entire day.
“When the conditions aligned and the foil worked, we were at the finish 25 hours before the second boat in the fleet.”
Linnervuo emphasizes, however, that it was not just about technology.
One of the cornerstones of the project has been keeping the crew the same since the start of the modifications.
“It’s a bit like a Formula 1 team. When the drivers and the team stay the same, you know where the speed or the problems come from. Our team made no mistakes.”
Interest around Tulikettu has grown particularly in France, where offshore sailing holds a status close to a national sport.
“People have already been asking when the first French member will join — the first application from France to join the crew came to shortly after the race.”
The Paprec 600 is among Linnervuo’s favourite races. The course circles islands off France and Italy and offers constantly changing conditions.
“A 600-mile race is the marathon of sailing. Round-the-world races are then ultrarunning,” Linnervuo says.
Tulikettu’s season continues in July with the Aegean 600 race in Greece, where Tulikettu will face, among others, a strong American boat. The main autumn goal is the legendary Rolex Middle Sea Race in Malta.
The actual long-term objective, however, has not changed.
Linnervuo’s project still aims for Tulikettu to become the first Finnish crew to win the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s prestigious offshore sailing series as well as one of the four most legendary 600-mile races in the world.
Not everyone has believed in the project over the years.
“Many had already written off the boat. I always believed that the performance would be found. Determination can deliver results.”
Now that belief received a visible reward. At the same time, it perhaps also confirmed that a Finnish crew can challenge offshore sailing’s great nations in their own backyard.
A lot has happened to Tulikettu. In the spring of 2022, it was believed to have sunk in the North Atlantic. In June 2022, it was found drifting as a ghost ship off the coast of Portugal.
After that, the boat was repaired and refurbished at a yard in England.
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