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Asteria sinking, lessons to be learnt

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Latest News: €213 Million Golden Globe Race 2022 Media Value

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Golden Globe Race lifesaving regulations. Asteria sinking, lessons to be learnt

Picture Above: Tapio Lehtinen in his survival suit. All of the skippers underwent sea survival training before the race start. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR2022.

• Tapio Lehtinen reflects on the sinking of Asteria and his rescue
• Comms grab bag, tracking, texting and communications devices in the GGR
• Time compensation for Kirsten Neuschäfer and Abhilash Tomy following Tapio’s rescue
• Rigging issues for Elliott Smith in South Africa and Arnaud Gaist mid-Atlantic
• The Roaring Forties are not there! Where are they?!

Many people talk about the eye watering effort GGR entrants make to meet the tough safety and qualifying requirements of this gruelling mind game called the Golden Globe. When all the boxes are ticked, they finally receive a “green card” in Les Sables d’Olonne just before the start.

These unique GGR safety regulations have played an important part in saving Tapio Lehtinen following the sinking of his yacht in the Southern Ocean and he appreciates it! Two other entrants have rigging issues after 80 days at sea and Kirsten sets a new 219-mile day record! But the big question is… where are the Roaring Forties?

Golden Globe entrant Tapio Lehtinen (FIN) rescued from his life raft last week is currently enjoying the hospitality of his rescuers Capt. Naveen Kumar Mehrotra and his crew on the M.V. Darya Gayatri bound for Rizhao, China. He has no money, no passport, and no glasses, but is in good health and good spirits. He has now shared information with the organisers regarding this incident and rescue. He does not know for sure what caused the failure and sinking of his yacht Asteria and is still coming to terms with the loss of his beloved yacht.

The accident was a devastating surprise, I had 100% confidence in Asteria being fit for the fight. She performed beautifully and I was very happy and proud of her. After a total rebuild four years ago for the 2018 GGR and being fitted out and inspected again this year, being flooded up to deck level in five minutes and sinking twenty minutes later in beautiful summer conditions is beyond my comprehension. But the rock-solid professionalism of Don McIntyre in coordinating the rescue operation together with MRCCs in Cape Town, Kirsten Neuschäfer, Abhilash Tomy and m/v Darya Gayatri captain Naveen Kumar Mehrotra came as no surprise to me. On the contrary, already before the start of the race, at a safety briefing in Les Sables d’Olonne, I told my competitors that if we’d get into trouble, we would be in the best of hands. I never imagined that I would be the one. Thank you, Don – getting into the raft in a rush without my grab bags of food, medicine and water, I knew that it wouldn’t be a long stay. Tapio Lehtinen

When Tapio woke to a loud bang, he stepped into knee deep water with more flooding like a river from the engine compartment. With no time to think, he prepared the Plastimo “special edition” GGR life raft in the cockpit and donned his dry survival suit, grabbing the small GGR communications emergency grab bag on the way out. With the raft inflated beside the boat, the securing line he had re-set with a slip knot, unfortunately let go! It began drifting away. He could not go below for the main grab bag, as water was above waist height and the decks were awash, so he jumped for the raft now 3 metres from the boat. He had been unable to reach his EPIRB inside the boat, which later automatically water activated, sending the first DISTRESS alert. But it went down with the yacht 20 minutes later taking his two other emergency beacons with it.

Fortunately, GGR safety regulations require a PLB distress beacon and waterproof VHF handheld radio with GPS to be packed inside the raft. In the shock of the moment, he forgot the PLB was in the raft. He found it nearly two hours later and turned it on. At that point it was his only distress beacon. Inside the GGR comms grab bag his spare satellite phone was damaged while boarding the raft. (His main sat phone stored at the chart table went down with the ship). Also, inside was the backup waterproof YB3 satellite tracker and texting unit.

GGR control on learning of the EPIRB Distress and noting ASTERIA ’s onboard Tracker was no longer transmitting, assumed the boat had sunk and that Tapio was probably in the raft. GGR remotely activated the backup YB3 and noted it had been powered on by Tapio . This was exciting news. A message was sent “ Are You OK?”

Tapio responded shortly after that he was in the raft, all well and Asteria had sunk! This then gave a second position of the raft that was linked to the GGR 24hr online tracking page for all to see. Using the same YB3 unit, Tapio was able to send and receive short messages from the raft, a great comfort for him as a survivor, his family and all his followers around the world. His rescue was a success.

I know from experience over the past 30 years that when all goes wrong you may not get your grab bag, so what’s in the raft is all you may have. I always pack a distress beacon in my rafts and now a VHF/GPS, so I made it mandatory for GGR too. I also lost a good friend deep in the Southern Ocean in the 1994 BOC challenge when his 48hr EPIRB battery ran out before the ship arrived. We now insist on the YB3 unit in the GGR comms grab bag which tracks every 15 minutes for months, including two-way texting. Tapio was happy to have both. Don McIntyre

This incident will be the subject of a full GGR report in the weeks ahead, which will be published so all can learn from the experience.      

Time Compensation following ASTERIA sinking

It is a long-held tradition of the sea, that if a mariner is in Distress and declares a “Mayday”, all other mariners will use their best endeavours to immediately assist if they are safely able to do so. Such was the case for Abhilash Tomy (IND) on Bayanat and Kirsten Neuschäfer (RSA) on Minnehaha when asked by GGR control to assist in the rescue of fellow GGR entrant Tapio Lehtinen on ASTERIA . Both altered courses immediately and stopped racing on receiving the request. The rescue was successful.

To calculate time compensation for both sailors all the facts affecting both sailors were considered, focusing on the primary impacts of:

• Time away from the course
• Changing and new weather systems on resuming the course.
• Position at the start and finish of their diversion.

Primary Data  

Abhilash acknowledged the rescue message at 0930 UTC and was subsequently released at 13:50 UTC, (4:20 hours). He confirmed he resumed racing at 1400 UTC ( total 4:30 hours ) and he also stayed on a higher course (80° approx.) for the duration of the rescue in case he may be needed. Engine: did not use the engine.

Distance 27.5 nm @ 50°, approx. Lateral 23 nm/vertical 15 nm

Kirsten acknowledged the rescue message at 1303UTC and called to confirm transfer to vessel at 0745+1 but stayed on scene until 1000 UTC before proceeding under reduced sails: total 22 hours. Engine hours: 2 beginning, 2 middle, 3 at the end for a total of 7 hours.

5 hrs @ 1.8K rpm=3.5 l/h= 17,5lt and 2 hrs @ 2.4K rpm=5 l/h = 10lt. Total 27.5 litres

Distance 100 miles @ 38°approx, lateral 57 nm/vertical 83 nm

The following time compensation has been determined:

• Kirsten Neuschäfer 35 hours + 30 litres of fuel
• Abhilash Tomy 12hrs

Abhilash and Kirsten both commented that it took some time to let the adrenaline go, and get back into racing mode. Abhilash remained on a more northerly course than normal for the duration of the rescue, asking to be updated on progress and Kirsten had steered Minnehaha all night and manoeuvred at close quarters to the vessel for Tapio ’s transfer.

Latest news from Kirsten in her regular weekly safety call .

Rig failures 80 days out of Les Sables d’Olonne

Elliott Smith (USA) turned around on the 22nd of November, shortly after going through the Cape Town Gate, for a bowsprit failure. Fellow entrant Jeremy Bagshaw (RSA) who lives in Simon’s Town suggested he moor on the Simon’s Town’s mooring buoy in False Bay, well sheltered from the strong forecast South Westerlies. Local sailors guided him in at dusk.

His bowsprit was broken on one side and bent on the other, with the bobstay being slightly bent in the process. The Notice of Race allows Entrants receive onsite technical advice but no physical assistance. Elliott welcomed the advice from local sailors and riggers on repairing and strengthening his bowsprit. Following three hectic days and after reviewing pictures, videos and listening to Elliott’s descriptions, the GGR organisers approved the repairs and Elliott set sail once again bound for Hobart.

I am not driven by an ego trip, nor do I want to continue at all cost, but I think the repaired bowsprit is stronger than it was in Les Sables d’Olonne. Elliott Smith (USA)

We were able to monitor and assess Elliott’s bowsprit repairs thanks to photos and video supplied by Simon McDonnel from FBYC right up to sea trials. While not perfect, our opinion is that managed correctly by the skipper, the repaired bowsprit is not unsafe. He has addressed the compression issues and added extra security to stop it folding up again. The inner forestay supports the mast well and combined with running backstays secures the mast without consideration of the forestay when sailing with the staysail and reefed main. The furling genoa is being swapped for a smaller jib and the entire Southern Ocean legs can be sailed under staysail alone.  Don McIntyre, GGR Founder and Chairman

In 1968 Bernard Moitessier damaged his bowsprit and spent a few days in the same area effecting repairs before continuing on. Elliott made no landing and received no physical support, so remains in the GGR rankings. He is now on his way to Hobart.

Shortly after, Arnaud Gaist (FRA) called the GGR Control to explain mast and rigging issues, and that he can no longer sail to windward before it’s solved. He described a bending mast last week and that he worked on rig tensions to re-establish symmetry.

In his last call on Friday morning, he advised that his mast base was moving, that a lower shroud needed tightening and that the bobstay fitting supporting the bowsprit came under stress, indicating further issues in the symmetry and compression of the whole rig.

He is still 1000 miles away from Cape Town, but north of the usual high-pressure systems, therefore sailing upwind, facing the swell, which is putting extra pressure on the rig. He is struggling to make Cape Town and now has little chance of making the Hobart Gate which closes on January 31st 2023. He is currently sailing downwind and assessing options for repair at sea, or whether he should follow predominately easterly winds for repairs in Brazil.

Meanwhile, Guy Waites (UK) , the last victim of hull invasion, has given up on trying to scrape the barnacles at sea as it is too dangerous with little effect. He explained in his last call that he made up his mind and will have to slip the boat in Cape Town.

Unusual Southern Indian Ocean conditions for the fleet so far

Simon Curwen (UK), Kirsten Neuschäfer (RSA), Abhilash Tomy (IND) and Michael Guggenberger (AUT) have all improved their personal best over a 24-hours distance last week, with Kirsten obliterating the record with 219 miles in a day , but it took quite a while to get there. In fact, the Atlantic conditions were not the ones the fleet expected, and the same applies to the Southern Indian Ocean.

This year, an unusual Antartic polar vortex  is contributing to a weather anomaly which is pushing the usual strong westerly winds of the Roaring Forties further south than usual. Some high-pressure systems are also lower than normal, pushing the roaring forties toward the furious fifties.

This may slow progress toward Hobart as the fleet experiences more of a mixed bag of wind directions and strengths as Simon Curwen explains . The good news is that some of the intense low-pressure storms may also stay below their route to Hobart and later Cape Horn. Only time will tell, but sailing along the 40th parallel of latitude looks like a different ride this year.   

Don McIntyre GGR Chairman and Founder

Don McIntyre is the founder and underwriter of the goldengloberace.com the oceangloberace.com and the minigloberace.com . Follow him at mcintyreadventure.com .

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Extraordinary boats: Tapio Lehtinen’s Gaia 36 Asteria

• November 29, 2022

Tapio Lehtinen’s Gaia 36 Asteria is the oldest yacht entered in the ‘retro’ solo Golden Globe Race, and has some unusual modifications for this unique event

Note: Since this piece was written Tapio Lehtinen had to be rescued in the Golden Globe Race after his beloved yacht, Asteria sank in a mere 5 minutes. It is unclear at this moment what the cause of this abrupt sinking was. As this article attests, Lehtinen was meticulous in his preparation for the event and was dismayed to lose his boat in such a fashion. 

Sparkman and Stephens aficionado Tapio Lehtinen believes his Gaia 36 Asteria is the perfect vessel for the rigours of the Golden Globe Race , despite being the oldest yacht in the fleet having been built in 1965. Lehtinen completed the 2018 edition, the first ‘re-running’ of the famous solo non stop race, in 5th place in the same boat, after being hampered by ineffective antifouling that resulted in massive underwater growth.

However, a bigger refit than anticipated meant Lehtinen was not able to fully realise his vision for the boat last time. He bought her in 2017 in Italy, but it was only after sailing home to Finland that significant delamination was discovered in the deck. Eventually the entire deck and coachroof was sliced off and used as a male mould for its replacement.

At the same time, the hull was stripped right back to a shell, with all furniture and bulkheads removed. Even the gelcoat and top 1mm of the hull laminate was ground away and then relaminated with Kevlar to improve impact resistance against collision with floating objects.

“The boat is now how I would have liked it to be four years ago,” he told me in Les Sables d’Olonne the day before the start, “but then we just didn’t have the time to get to this standard.”

The Gaia design dates from 1961 and Asteria is the second boat of a total of 15 built. She has very similar lines to the Swan 36 which was first launched just two years later, although Asteria ’s rudder is mounted on the trailing edge of the keel, rather than the Swan’s more modern fin and skeg profile.

Although much modified, Asteria is the only boat in the Golden Globe Race that was originally designed for racing. Photo: Golden Globe Race

“It’s the only boat in the GGR that was originally designed for racing,” Lehtinen added, “and I wouldn’t want to race with a cruising boat.” Nevertheless Asteria is much modified compared to her original specification.

As well as three watertight compartments and foam buoyancy in the bow, there’s a pair of watertight bulkheads aft, which are not required for the race, but make sense for the rigours of the course. The first is just ahead of the rudder tube, while the second is a couple of feet further forward. All through-hull fittings are positioned between the two, virtually eliminating the chance of a failed skin fitting sinking the boat.

Conventional cockpit locker lids are notorious for letting in water during severe weather. Therefore flush-fitting Lewmar hatches were used instead when the new deck was fitted. The deck now also has a wider cockpit coaming to facilitate the fitting of large winches – there are three each side. At the same time the cockpit well is narrower than the original. It was specified to exactly fit the width of the liferaft, minimising the volume of water the cockpit will hold when pooped by a wave.

Hand and foot steering

The very substantial aluminium tiller has an extension that in benign conditions enables Lehtinen to steer from the front of the cockpit, where there’s a clear view of the telltales. Noting that Jean Luc Van Den Heede, who won the first edition of the revived Golden Globe by a large margin, hand steered for a lot of the race, Asteria is also set up so that Lehtinen can steer from a position of comfort and safety in properly challenging conditions.

As we publish this, Lehtinen is in second in the 2022 Golden Globe Race. Photo: GGR/Etienne Messikommer

To do this he adapted an idea from Bernard Moitessier in the original 1968 Golden Globe. He can sit in the companionway, completely enclosed by the cuddy and washboards, steering with his feet in stirrups, from which lines are led back to the tiller.

The ultra-sleek cuddy is also a unique feature. Those of some Golden Globe boats look vulnerable in a knockdown, or add considerable windage aft, which may impair steering downwind in wild conditions when these boats lack the control of more modern designs with spade rudders. However, Asteria ’s cuddy design was based on those used for racing powerboats and, despite being extremely lightweight, is rated to withstand capsizing at around 100 knots of boat speed!

The 12mm standing rigging is massively oversized, while the mast, chainplates and surrounding structure are beefed up to match. Photo: Rupert Holmes

Durable rig

When the coachroof was rebuilt Lehtinen took the opportunity to reduce the width of the companionway. It now exactly suits his frame, so he doesn’t rattle around in the space in rough weather. There’s also extra strengthening at the companionway, with full height fore and aft bulkheads each side that are bonded into the hull structure.

Lehtinen says the importance of that is something he remembers from Miles and Beryl Smeeton’s experience on their 46ft ketch Tzu Hang , which lost the coachroof when pitchpoled on the approach to Cape Horn in the late 1950s.

Lehtinen demonstrating the webbing ‘cage’ over his bunk to stop him being thrown out in the event of being rolled over or a severe knockdown. Photo: Helen Fretter

For this edition of the race he also changed from a WindPilot to a Hydrovane. This suits Asteria well as the chord length of her keel is unusually short, which means the rudder hung on its trailing edge is a long way forward and has limited effect. However, the Hydrovane’s auxiliary rudder, mounted on the back of the long, drawn out counter exerts lots of leverage. In many ways it therefore works more like the spade rudder of newer designs and allows Asteria ’s main rudder to be locked off, acting like a trim tab.

Three furling headsails make for quick and easy sail transitions. Photo: Rupert Holmes

One of the changes Lehtinen has made since the 2018 race is to fit a continuous line furler to the forward forestay that enables hank-on sails to be furled. Towards the end of the race, when his big lightweight genoa was worn and weak, there was a risk of it being irreparably damaged in squalls as it was time consuming to douse. The reefing system means the sail can be wrapped away very quickly.

Downwind this stay can also be used for the hank-on storm jib. However, when sailing upwind the storm jib can be flown from the babystay in conjunction with a fourth mainsail reef (in lieu of a trysail) to give a more balanced sail plan. To give the mast appropriate support for this Asteria has a second pair of running backstays.

Standing rigging, normally 7mm or 8mm wire for a boat of this size, is upgraded to a massive 12mm, with Norseman-style terminals and both chainplates and the surrounding structure beefed up to match. The mast, new for the 2018 race, is of a heavier section than standard.

The Yankee on the main forestay and staysail are both roller furling sails and were used for the previous GGR. They’re made of very heavy Dacron, with substantial reinforcement, and have been fully serviced including re-stitching where it was found necessary.

Mainsail reefing is done entirely in the cockpit, using separate luff and leech pennants. The sail is set up with twin sheets, each with a purchase leading to opposite sides of the cockpit. It’s a simple arrangement that gives fine control over sail shape without the need for a traveller. The boat is set up with two poles for gybes, while the leeward foreguy can be led aft as a preventer. There’s also a jockey pole to keep the spinnaker pole off the guardrails.

It’s also noticeable that there are many substantial stainless steel handholds on deck and that jackstays are as close to the centreline as possible. Given Asteria’s narrow beam and fine ends Lehtinen uses a short tether to ensure he can never be washed over the guardwires.

Confined space

His bunk is on the starboard side of the saloon, with a deep leeboard supplemented by webbing straps across the top, to ensure there’s no chance of being ejected and injured even if the boat is rolled through 360°. A steering compass and barograph at the foot of the bunk means Lehtinen can immediately check key data on waking up, including the rate of change of atmospheric pressure.

The sleek cuddy was originally designed for racing powerboats and can withstand a capsize at 100 knots. Photo: Rupert Holmes

The remainder of the interior is very functional, with a sail stowage area forward, a small navstation on the main bulkhead with the permitted electronics: VHF and SSB radios, plus an old school weather fax that allows synoptic charts and even satellite weather images to be downloaded via HF radio. These are all encased behind waterproof panels.

Asteria specifications

LOA: 10.97m / 36ft 0in LWL: 7.77m / 25ft 6in Beam: 2.95m / 9ft 8in Draught: 1.83m / 6ft 0in Displacement: 6,985kg / 15,400lb Sail area: 50.17m2 / 540ft2

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Golden Globe Race – Emergency Transponder activated as Yacht sinks

Tapio Lehtinen has abandoned his Golden Globe Race yacht, Asteria, while heading toward Australia.

His last message received Friday 18 November at 11:05 UTC . . .

“I GAVE ASTERIA A LAST SALUTE STANDING IN THE RAFT AS SHE WENT DOWN”

Lehtinen, sailing in the 2022 Golden Globe Race, had activated Asteria’s EPIRB, at 06:54 UTC, Friday, when 460 nautical miles SE from Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Later at 08:52 UTC, Lehtinen also activated his liferaft’s PLB indicating that he may have abandoned ship.

GGR entrants Kirsten Neuschäfer and Abhilash Tomy, respectively 105 and 170 miles to his SSW were informed of his latest PLB position. Abhilash was first to receive the message and diverted course towards Tapio’s latest position.

At 09:22 UTC Lehtinen activated the emergency YB3 satellite tracking and texting device, which is part of the grab bag.

Then at 10:02 UTC manually acknowledged the message sent by the GGR Crisis Team. indicating he was able, and had the emergency grab bag with him.

The grab bag contains food, water and several critical pieces of equipment, including an emergency GPS, a Search & Rescue Transponder, a second 406 EPIRB, and a handheld GMDSS Radio.

At 11:05 UTC he sent his last message indicating thet Asteria had sunk and that he was safe in his liferaft.

Conditions in Tapio Lehtinen’s zone are manageable with light winds and 2,5-metre swell.

With Kirsten Neuschäfer now en route and closest a 100 nm away, the GGR Crisis Team released Abhilash Tomy from the rescue effort.

Neuschäfer is motoring and should have favourable winds later, expecting to be in the zone on Saturday 19 November in the morning. Forecasts suggest moderating conditions over the next two days.

MRCC Cape Town has established communication with the bulk carrier DARYA GAYATRI and requested to divert and render assistance.

The vessel is currently 250 nm NW off Lehtinen’s position with an ETA on November 19 at 12:00 UTC.

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Golden Globe Race lifesaving regulations, Asteria sinking, lessons to be learnt

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Published on December 1st, 2022 | by Editor

Sunk despite meticulous preparation

Published on December 1st, 2022 by Editor -->

Of the boats competing in the 2022-23 Golden Globe Race, Tapio Lehtinen was stunned that it was his Gaia 36 Asteria which sank. Yet that’s what happened 460 nautical miles SE from Port Elizabeth, in South Africa.

Lehtinen was successfully rescued, but remains at a loss for what failed on Asteria which was profiled in this report by Yachting World:

Sparkman and Stephens aficionado Tapio Lehtinen believes his Gaia 36 Asteria is the perfect vessel for the rigors of the Golden Globe Race, despite being the oldest yacht in the fleet having been built in 1965. Lehtinen completed the 2018 edition, the first ‘re-running’ of the famous solo non-stop race, in 5th place in the same boat, after being hampered by ineffective anti-fouling that resulted in massive underwater growth.

However, a bigger refit than anticipated meant Lehtinen was not able to fully realize his vision for the boat last time. He bought her in 2017 in Italy, but it was only after sailing home to Finland that significant delamination was discovered in the deck. Eventually the entire deck and coach roof was sliced off and used as a male mould for its replacement.

At the same time, the hull was stripped right back to a shell, with all furniture and bulkheads removed. Even the gelcoat and top 1mm of the hull laminate was ground away and then relaminated with Kevlar to improve impact resistance against collision with floating objects.

“The boat is now how I would have liked it to be four years ago,” he said in Les Sables d’Olonne the day before the start, “but then we just didn’t have the time to get to this standard.”

The Gaia design dates from 1961 and Asteria is the second boat of a total of 15 built. She has very similar lines to the Swan 36 which was first launched just two years later, although Asteria’s rudder is mounted on the trailing edge of the keel, rather than the Swan’s more modern fin and skeg profile.

“It’s the only boat in the GGR that was originally designed for racing,” Lehtinen added, “and I wouldn’t want to race with a cruising boat.” Nevertheless Asteria is much modified compared to her original specification. – Full report

Event details – Entry list – Tracker – Facebook

2022 GGR competitors: Abhilash Tomy (43) / India / Rustler 36 Arnaud Gaist (50) / France / BARBICAN 33 MKII (long keel version) Elliott Smith (27) / USA / Gale Force 34 Ertan Beskardes (60) / UK / Rustler 36 Guy Waites (54) / UK / Tradewind 35 Ian Herbert Jones (52) / UK / Tradewind 35 Jeremy Bagshaw (59) / South Africa / OE32 Kirsten Neuschäfer (39) / South Africa / Cape George 36 Michael Guggenberger (44) / Austria / Biscay 36 Simon Curwen (63) / UK / Biscay 36

Retired Edward Walentynowicz (68) / Canada / Rustler 36 (dropped out, Sept. 8) Guy deBoer (66) / USA / Tashiba 36 (ran aground, Sept. 16) Mark Sinclair (63) / Australia / Lello 34 (retired in Lanzarote, Sept. 22) Pat Lawless (66) / Ireland / Saga 36 (retired in Cape Town, Nov. 9) Damien Guillou (39) / France / Rustler 36 (retired in Cape Town, Nov. 14) Tapio Lehtinen (64) / Finland / Gaia 36 Masthead sloop (sank off Cape Town, Nov. 18)

About the 2022 Golden Globe Race On September 4, 2022, the third edition of the Golden Globe Race started from Les Sables d’Olonne, France. Sixteen skippers will face eight months of isolation sailing 30,000 miles across five oceans solo non-stop and unassisted.

In 1968, while man was preparing to take his first steps on the moon, a mild mannered and modest young man was setting out on his own record breaking voyage of discovery. He had entered the original Golden Globe. Nine men started that first solo non-stop sailing race around the World. Only one finished. He was 29 year old Sir Robin Knox Johnston. History was made. Navigating only with a sextant, paper charts and an accurate and reliable time piece, Sir Robin navigated around the world.

In 2018, to celebrate 50 years since that first record breaking achievement, the Golden Globe Race was resurrected. It instantly gained traction with adventurers, captivated by the spirit and opportunity. Eighteen started with five finishers.

To embrace the original race, competitors must sail in production boats between 32 and 36 feet overall and designed prior to 1988 that have a full-length keel with rudder attached to their trailing edge. Additionally, sailors have limited communication equipment and can use only sextants, paper charts, wind up clocks, and cassette tapes for music.

Tags: Gaia 36 , Golden Globe , Tapio Lehtinen , Yachting World

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Tapio Lehtinen Sailing

FOR THE FUTURE OF THE PLANET

Tapio Lehtinen is a lifetime sailor and keenly in love with the Oceans of the World.

Tapio’s first circumnavigation took place in 1981, as he participated in the Whitbread Round the World Race as the watch captain onboard Skopbank of Finland. The second round was the Golden Globe Race 2018, in which he finished 5th. Thousands of barnacles stuck to the bottom of his boat made the journey arduous. Still, with the true Finnish spirit, Tapio sailed and crossed the finish line and became the first Finn to have raced single-handed nonstop around the world.

It’s fair to say the first GGR competition left Tapio with a bone to pick with the barnacles. He wanted to give himself and her beloved Asteria boat another chance, and in September 2022, he started the Golden Globe Race 2022 , ready to fight for victory seriously. Everything was going smoothly, and Tapio was sailing second in the race. But then, on Friday, 18th November 2022, dramatic news reached us: Asteria had suddenly sunk. Tapio spent about a day on the life raft, after which his fellow competitor Kirsten Neuschäfer rescued him to her boat. From Kirsten’s boat, Tapio boarded the cargo ship Darya Gayatri, which took him to Indonesia and finally back home.

However, the next race is waiting right around the corner: Ocean Globe Race 2023 is the 50th-anniversary race of Whitbread, which was first sailed in 1973. Like the GGR, the OGR is sailed with traditional boats and methods. For this race, Tapio has gathered a group of next-generation ocean sailors. Their boat is a classic Swan 55 yawl, Galiana, which the team is currently preparing for the round-the-world sailing that will start in September 2023.

On my voyages around the world, I have witnessed firsthand how nature has changed. The biodiversity has narrowed and continues to do so; there are fewer birds, fewer fish, fewer sea mammals. All the trash in the sea and the smog above the shipping routes are giving a strong signal. As someone who loves nature and the sea, and also speaking as a grandfather, I want to take action to preserve this beautiful planet for generations to come. In my future projects, I want to work in cooperation with companies and organizations that are part of the solution, not part of the problem. I want to promote innovations, concrete solutions, and ways as to what we can do, to keep our planet clean, diverse, and viable. We still have time to put it right! Tapio Lehtinen tapio.a.lehtinen@gmail.com +358 40 049 5678

Letter from Tapio, October 20, 2022 >>

The Call of the Ocean is a documentary film about Tapio's first Golden Globe Race in 2018-19

Don McIntyre talks about Tapio's coming projects

"Tapion Aava" is a short film that sheds light on the man behind sailing.

Tapio's Book is Available Now!

» Order now from Amazon!

Last year, when I was in Panama, Tapio Lehtinen asked if I would help him with this book, mainly smoothing out his English. I was honored to be asked, and soon I was not only editing, but converting third-person past tense to first person present tense. Then I asked for his ship's logs and started adding to the story, doubling its length. I was engrossed in the writing at this point, and felt like I was sailing around the world in the Southern Ocean, alone in a 36' boat, but handling the cold and violent seas like a seasoned veteran of the ocean. This is how I hope you will feel when you read it. – Paul Trammell

Hear the full story from the man himself!

Tapio is an inspiring speaker for your event.

A successful career as an Industrial Engineer with experience in strategic planning and leading teams in various organisations. Life-long sailor with two circumnavigations done and two more planned. He’s been around, so to speak. With respect to the current state of the world, Tapio sure knows something about being remote, alone, and isolated.

Always be prepared for the worst. Be scared beforehand, so that you don’t have to be when the going gets tough. Trusting your team, sharing common goals, adapting to new challenges, and finally making your dreams a reality. These are just some of the themes Tapio will be touching on. Not to forget his first-hand experience on the global state of the environment. Tapio has devoted his future to the future of our common planet.

The presentation can be delivered in English, Finnish, or Swedish.

Contact: tapio.a.lehtinen@gmail.com , +358 40 049 5678

Linda Capelletti / Sherpa

Kirsi Paakkari, Kalevala Koru

Yrjö Nieminen, Vallilan Vaara oy

FOLLOW THE JOURNEY

Viivi & Anton interviewed in Punta del Este, auf Deutsch.😊 www.opticlass.de/blog/2024/03/16/ex-optisegler-viivi-und-anton-racen-rund-um-den-globus-die-etapp... Ocean Globe Race WithSecure Deutsche Optimisten Dinghy Vereinigung e.V. ... See More See Less

• Comments: 4

Comment on Facebook

Birgitt : checked an found to be good 😘

Sehr gut! Ausgezeichnet.

Niin hyvä sessio noilta nuorilta. Spurs.

keep the concentration at the end of Marzipan season !

Galiana WithSecure & Tapio in Classic Boat magazine.😊 Ocean Globe Race WithSecure ... See More See Less

Oldest Ocean Globe Race Boat: Olin Stephens' Galiana

www.classicboat.co.uk

A lot of good design ideas in the article

A lot of good design ideas BY TAPIO

No nyt on hienosti Joutsenella siivet levitettynä👍

Thorbjørn Joest Andersen Nicolai Juel Vædele Jens Hyldig Gents - this is preparation 👊

Luckily the team celebrates their successes in real time... Now it's time to start the hunt again! Tricky conditions, including Doldrums, still ahead. Finish in Cowes is still a distant thought. 🅿️🌞🏖️ ... See More See Less

• Comments: 14

Go Crew, Go🙏🏻👍🏻

tricky conditions keep her moving good luck

Kyllä se siitä…👍👍🇫🇮

🇫🇮Keep fightin'👍

Jaksaa, jaksaa …! 💪🌊

Kyllä te pärjäätte!!

Very tricky. Weather abnormal. Go, Galliana, you’re doing great!

Hyvin menee!⛵️🇫🇮👏

Oikein. Nyt jahti päälle ⛵️

Hyvin polokoo , vaan minkäs sille mahtaa 👉👉🇫🇮🇫🇮🇫🇮

Mahtak tost mittä tulla. Me olla Rigabuhtis! 😂

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Galiana WithSecure 15.3.2024 138. purjehduspäivä. 21°31.69′S, 033°47.58′W "Osteria Galiana WithSecure " Tapahtumia ja asioita a) Veneessä on kaikki hyvin. Tapio kertoi, että tänään on valitettavasti kärvistelty heikossa tai olemattomassa tuulessa. b) Kalastusrintamalla sen sijaan tapahtuu jälleen: Pia sai jo toisen kalansa, tällä kertaa tonnikalan! Tapio kertoi, että kohta ruvetaan valmistamaan tonnikaladinneriä. Illallisen menukokonaisuuteen palataan hieman myöhemmin. c) Välitettiin WMO:n high seas -ennuste soveltuvin osin. d) Välitettiin kisatilanne. e) Tapio päivitti Kaislan tilannetta: Säilykepurkista saadut haavat ovat parantuneet mainiosti. Haavasiteet on kertaalleen vaihdettu ja haavat ovat umpeutuneet hyvin. Infektioista ei ole merkkejä. Lisäksi saimme päivityksen lentsutilanteesta: Flunssapöpö on kierroksensa tehnyt ja kokenut tälläkin kertaa tappion. Kaikki olisi muuten hyvin, mutta tuulta kaivattaisiin taas lisää. f) Välitettiin viestejä veneestä läheisille ja päinvastoin. g) Veneeseen päivitettiin lisää tietoja Suomen purjehduksen olympialaisten maapaikoista. h) Lopuksi saimme kuulla lisää illallisen menukokonaisuudesta. (ranskankieliset lisäykset ja valmistusmenetelmien kuvaukset kirjoittajan) Alkuun Poisson Cru à la Tahitienne eli tutummin tonnikalaceviche. Kyseisessä ruokalajissa kala raakakypsennetään esimerkiksi sitruuna- tai limemehun kanssa. Tämän jälkeen jatketaan steak de thon, eli tonnikalapihveillä. (Tuntien Galiana WithSecure n keittiön ammattitaidon, tonnikalapihvi jätetään luonnollisesti medium-kypsyysasteeseen. [Toim. huom]) Jotta mitään ei mene hukkaan, perkuujätteistä keitetään myös fumet de poisson, eli kalaliemi, joka käytetään bouillabaisseen eli kalakeittomaiseen muhennokseen. Ocean Globe Race WithSecure ... See More See Less

• Comments: 7

Mahtava menu👍😋bon appetit.

Kyllä tolla menulla jaksaa taas piiskata veneeseen vauhtia. Go Galiana!

Hienoa kuulla Tapiosta ja muusta miehistöstä. Suotuisia tuulia.

Bravo pour la cours de cuisine,mais il fait pêcher un thon

A+ Report. 🙂

Äkkiä maaliin ennenkuin typerä päällikkö heitetään yli puurin! 😂

This brings memories... 😅🥲 - RIP Asteria. Ocean Globe Race Golden Globe Race WithSecure 3stepIT Suomi ... See More See Less

A ball of barnacles wins wildlife photo award

www.bbc.com

• Comments: 2

Wilson was found?

Helt utrolig at du og Asteria faktisk kom til mål i 2019 med all den skjellveksten under.

Galiana WithSecure 13.3.2024 136. purjehduspäivä. 25°20.58′S, 036°51.4′W "Minä tunnen kuinka vauhti kiihtyy, tule mukanani juhlimaan..." (Kuvatekstit päivitetty 15.3.) Tapahtumia ja asioita: a) Veneessä on kaikki hyvin. Purjehduspäivä ei kuitenkaan ole ollut kaksinen, ja eteneminen on nihkeää. Tuuli on lähinnä vaan pyöriskellyt, nopeuttakin on tällä hetkellä vain 4.5 solmua. b) Seuraava uutinen radiotiimiltä toi kuitenkin piristysruiskeen: Onnittelimme Galiana WithSecure n tiimiäsekä IRC-tasoituksen että oman luokkansa ykköspaikasta. Tapio pyysi tässä vaiheessa skedistä pientä taukoa, jotta hän voi kertoa hyvät uutiset muillekin. Tapio perusteli asiaa myös sillä, että sijoitustilanne saattaisi muuttua jopa kesken skedin, joten hyvät uutiset on kerrottava heti. Pyydetyn tauon toki mielihyvin soimme. Tapion palatessa jälleen mikrofonin ääreen hän kertoi päivän olevan pelastettu. c) Välitettiin WMO:n high seas -ennuste soveltuvin osin. d) Välitettiin kisatilanne. Kuten tarkkaavaiset lukijat ovat ehkä huomanneet, kisatilanteeseen kuuluu myös kisan tämänhetkinen järjestys tasoitusten perusteella. Tapana on kysyä, onko sille tarvetta. Kuten arvata saattaa, kisatilanne kiinnosti tällä kertaa erityisesti ja Tapio ilmoitti samaan hengenvetoon kehystävänsä ylös kirjoitetun kisatilanteen myöhemmin. e) Veneestä lähetettiin terveisiä läheisille. f) Välitettiin viestejä veneestä/veneeseen mm. sponsoripurjehduksiin liittyen. g) Veneeseen välitettiin purjehdusuutisia, mm. kilpailutuloksia, tulevien kilpailuiden ajankohtia, sekä suomalaispurjehtijoiden kommentteja edesottamuksistaan. Veneestä lähetetiin tsempit koko Suomen purjehdusmaajoukkueelle. h) Veneeseen välitettiin myös sähkeuutisia merenkulkijoille. Aiheena tänään mm. Gazan tilanne, Bidenin puhe, Ruotsin NATO-jäsenyys, Suomen lakkotilanne ja rahtialuksen uppoaminen Punaisella merellä. i) Tapio kertoi, että tuuligeneraattorin kanssa on ongelmia. Tilanne ei kuitenkaan ole vakava, koska sähkölähteinä on edelleen aurinkopaneelit, dieselgeneraattori tai pääkone. Hydrogereraattori oli tarkoitus korjata/vaihtaa Kapkaupungin stopilla, mutta se ei onnistunut toimitusvaikeuksien vuoksi. Lataaminen tapahtuu tällä hetkellä pääasiassa dieselgeneraattorin avulla. j) Tapio palasi vielä loistavaan kisatilanteeseen ja kertoi, että valkoviinipullo on jo laitettu jääkaappiin kylmenemään, sijoituksen juhlistamista varten. (Tiedossa ei ole, onko laseissa mahdollisesti Uruguaylaista Sauvignon Blanc -viiniä. [Toim. huom.]) k) Lopuksi Tapio kertoi nopeuden nousseen skedin aikana 7.4 solmuun ja iloitsi, kun "vauhti kiihtyy kuin Matin ja Tepon laulussa". Ocean Globe Race WithSecure 📷OGR2023/Team Galiana WithSecure ... See More See Less

• Comments: 13

Nr 1 Irc.. cool..💪 may it last to finish line🤞

Grattis, det går bra!

Hienoa. Jatkakaa samaan malliin 👍

Toivotaan suotuisampia tuulia teille⛵️

Upeata! Täysillä maaliin!

Hanaa - Kran…!

Se on purjehduksen juhlaa kun tuntee veneen vauhdin!

It seems as if this time again mussels and barnacles can slow down the speed of the albatrosses on the Galiana, May be Tapio has used the new antifouling "With Secure

Hyvin menee! Antaa mennä vaan. Spurs.

Maakrapu kysyy:skedi?

Golden Globe Race : Time credit for the rescuers - why did "Asteria" sink?

Kristina Müller

 ·  29.11.2022

Rescuers back in regatta mode

Both participants in the retro regatta around the world then resumed their course and continued the race. Neuschäfer had previously been able to drop Tapio Lehtinen on a freighter heading for China. The race organisers of the Golden Globe Race have now announced that the South African will be credited with 35 hours for her efforts, the Indian Tomy with twelve. In the spirit of good seamanship, both had left their actual course for hours. According to the organisers, information on the weather conditions and developments during the rescue operation were also included in the calculation for the credit.

Despite the time-consuming and energy-sapping action - the single-handed sailor steered almost exclusively by herself during her search for Lehtinen - she is again in second place in the widely spread field. With 219 nautical miles, she has also set the best record so far. A good 600 nautical miles separate her from the leader Simon Curwen, who already has about half the distance of the southern Indian Ocean in his wake. Around 130 nautical miles behind her is Abhilash Tomy in third place in the race around the world, which he took part in during his media stop off Cape Town. has recently voiced so much criticism . Austria's Michael Guggenberger is currently in fourth place.

Most read articles

Mysterious demise of Tapio Lehtinen's "Asteria"

Even ten days after the Finnish skipper's Gaia 36 "Asteria" ran aground in the Indian Ocean, the cause is still unclear. Conditions were calm at the time of the accident. Tapio Lehtinen confirmed this to YACHT, which reached him on the satellite phone of the bulk carrier "Darya Gayatri".

The 64-year-old reported how quickly everything happened. He was asleep when he was woken by a loud bang. The ship then filled with water over the stern in a very short time. Lehtinen was able to pull himself to safety in the life raft and saw his boat, which he had sailed in the Golden Globe Race four years ago, sink.

Lehtinen himself was unable to clarify the speculation about the cause of the sinking. "I don't know," said the experienced sailor. He simply could not explain what had happened, especially as he himself had meticulously prepared his ship for the rigours of the voyage and, among other things, had installed watertight compartments. If anything, says Lehtinen, the water could perhaps have come through one or two defective shipboard outlets - the bang in this case may have been the loud noise when one of the watertight bulkheads gave way under the water pressure. However, he is not entirely convinced by his own theory and is apparently at a loss himself as to what could have actually caused the water ingress.

Repairs and setbacks

Only nine of the 16 sailors are still in the race. Two of them have not yet passed Cape Town and therefore have little chance of reaching the next intermediate destination of Hobart in the specified time by 31 January 2023. The two soloists still sailing the Atlantic are Guy Waites from Great Britain and Arnaud Gaist from France. The former has reported from on board that he has given up trying to remove the heavy fouling on his hull at sea. He now wants to get his boat, a Tradewind 35, out of the water in Cape Town and clean it. Should he then resume the race, he would continue in the so-called Chichester Class, in which all those who make a stop ashore during the Golden Globe Race are classified.

The future of his fellow competitor Arnaud Gaist's race is also more than uncertain. He recently reported serious problems with the rig of his Barbican 33 MKII. Apparently the mast support is unstable and there are problems with the lower shrouds and the bowsprit.

The same cable also broke on board the 27-year-old American Elliot Smith, shortly after the youngest participant in the Golden Globe Race had completed the obligatory interview stop in Granger Bay off Cape Town. Smith was apparently able to get to grips with the construction site on his own and without having to make landfall. He is now making a second attempt to cross the Indian Ocean, which has so far proved far tamer than expected for the leading sailors in the field.

Golden Globe Race: What has happened so far

• Golden Globe Update 8: Neuschäfer rescues Lehtinen from distress at sea
• Golden Globe Update 7: Emotional moments off Cape Town
• Golden Globe Update 6: Cape Town in the wake, Neuschäfer in second place
• Golden Globe Update 5: New breach on board the "PRB"
• Golden Globe Update 4: Three new videos from the high seas
• Golden Globe Update 3: Sailors reach first media stop
• Golden Globe Update 2: Shipwreck at Guy de Boer in the Canary Islands
• Golden Globe Update 1: Break, comeback and the first task

Golden Globe Race: more on the topic

• Start at the beginning of September, all race info here
• Last Golden Globe sailor to finish after almost four years
• Lutz Kohne, the German member of the Golden Globe team
• A portrait of Rustler 36

Most read in category Special

Tapio Lehtinen: Lessons from my Golden Globe Rescue

• Katy Stickland
• December 9, 2022

When Golden Globe Race competitor Tapio Lehtinen was woken by a loud bang, he had just enough time to jump into his liferaft. He shares the lessons he learned following his rescue

Tapio Lehtinen climbs onboard the Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier Darya Gayatri after spending 24 hours at sea in his liferaft. Credit: Anglo Eastern Credit: Anglo Eastern

Sleeping in my bunk, on the morning of Friday 18 November 2022, I was woken by a loud bang, writes Tapio Lehtinen .

We were roughly 450 miles south east of South Africa, and it had been a nice Force 3 ENE wind when I’d gone to bed, with a relatively smooth, long swell.

I am very well used to Asteria ’s movements and despite sleeping like a baby in my bunk, I normally wake up when the movement or heel of the boat changes.

Wild bangs against waves also tend to get me out of my deepest sleep. This bang was just a loud noise, not connected to slamming against a wave or any other impact.

My bunk is 55cm wide with a high leeboard and I had already rigged the safety net on top of it in order to prevent me from falling out of the bunk in a possible knockdown or a rollover.

Tapio Lehtinen was the third Golden Globe Race skipper to pass through the Cape Town gate. Credit: Aida Valceuna /GGR 2022

It takes 20 seconds for an old, stiff guy like me to wriggle out of the bunk.

By the time I put my feet on the floorboards they were almost knee deep in the water which was rushing into the cabin from under the companionway ladder and engine room.

It was clear to me that the water was coming at such a pace that the boat was sinking and I to get ready to abandon ship and, if time allowed, to try to see if there was anything I could do to prevent it from happening.

I dashed to the companionway and grabbed my survival suit bag from the locker next to it and threw it into the cockpit.

Asteria was fitted with three watertight bulkheads in the bow and two in the transom before the Golden Globe Race. Credit: Tapio Lehtinen/Large Kopie

Next I got the communication equipment watertight grab box containing a satellite phone, emergency VHF , air traffic frequency VHF, YB3- satellite texting device with a tracker, and put that into the cockpit, too, ready to go.

I then tried to open my other two grab bags containing food and medicine, but the water was already above my waist and the level rapidly rising, so I decided my priority was to get my survival suit on and get the liferaft launched as it seemed that the boat would sink in a few minutes.

I got up to the deck, put on my survival suit and cut the straps of the raft with the knife next to it and launched it.

Tapio Lehtinen jumps ship

Everything went quickly and smoothly, the raft opened, I threw the comms box and the bag containing the heavy liner suit to be used under the survival suit into the raft.

As the boat was down in the water almost to deck level, I cut the painter of the raft with the knife and tied the painter with a slip knot to the closest stanchion, so that if the boat did sink, I could release it quickly.

I then took a last desperate look into the cabin in order to see if I could get the grab bags or EPIRB out, but it was hopeless.

The water was already just 15 to 20cm below the deck; diving into the water didn’t seem wise.

I then looked over my shoulder and saw that my slip knot had come undone and the raft was drifting away, already a couple metres from the boat.

Fellow Golden Globe Race skipper Kirsten Neuschafer was the first on the scene, rescuing Tapio Lehtinen from his liferaft before he was transferred to the Darya Gayatri . Credit: Anglo Eastern

So instead of any sentimental last kisses to my friend, it was time for a tiger leap over the lifelines for the raft.

I don’t have any clear recollection of getting into the raft. I must have bounced from the surface of the water as in the next moment I was inside the raft.

My first feeling in the raft was of embarrassment for my slip knot failure and being on the raft instead of the boat.

For decades I have been preaching that it is not a life raft but a death raft.

The learnings of the 1979 Fastnet Race and other disasters is that you leave your boat only when you are 100% sure that it is sinking , climbing up to the raft from a sinking boat.

I would have wanted to have the raft ready for entering but still have a possibility to locate the cause of the flooding and see if there was a way to fix it.

Tapio Lehtinen’s liferaft was securely on deck when the accident happened. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR 2022

Asteria was fitted with three watertight bulkheads in the bow and two in the transom, and I had been bragging for four years that she was as unsinkable as Titanic .

I’ve learned my lesson and am rather more humble now.

I got the paddle out but no matter how hard I tried, I wasn’t able to get back to the boat.

The only thing left to do was to watch the 20-minute death struggle of my beautiful boat.

It was clear the aft compartments had been breached as the stern sank first with the bow rising up.

The bow was the last visible part of the hull followed by the high-vis yellow top of the mainsail and finally, her VHF antenna.

I stood up in the wobbling life raft to make a last salute to my dear friend. It was an emotional moment.

Once alone in the raft I started getting organised and went through all the stuff I had with me.

I had only been able to take the comms box and the survival suit with me, but I was positively surprised how well the raft was equipped.

As it is a four-person raft, there was a fair amount of emergency water and food, and a small first aid bag.

I immediately applied sun protection to my face as in the boat I try to stay in the shade. I streamed out the sea anchor and emptied and dried the raft with the bailer and sponge provided.

I didn’t have my new waterproof sat phone with me, but in my comms box was another Iridium one.

To qualify for the 2022 Golden Globe Race, each skipper had to meet the race’s minimum safety requirements. Credit: Nora Havel / GGR2022

I tried to put it on, only to find that its battery was flat – my own error. I should have regularly checked the battery condition of the devices in the box while sailing.

An hour later I realised that in the crammed box I had a spare battery for the satellite phone.

I changed the battery and it switched on. I got registered, but when I tried to call Golden Globe Race organiser Don McIntyre with it, it didn’t connect.

After a few tries I noticed that the antenna was broken. I don’t know at which stage I had broken it, but it is clear that the standard Iridium phone is not rugged enough for this kind of use.

Luckily I also had the YB3 satellite texting device, so with that I was able to keep a once an hour contact with Don.

Tapio Lehtinen transferred to Darya Gayatri via his liferaft. Credit: Anglo Eastern

A handheld GPS was also packed inside the raft, and most importantly a PLB , which I activated.

I hadn’t managed to activate either of Asteria ’s two EPIRBs on Asteria – one mounted inside, close to the companionway, and the other in one of the grab bags still on board.

I later heard that the one mounted on board had activated two hours before I activated the PLB.

My YB3 device had a tracking function so Don and MRCC Cape Town (Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre) had three ways of getting my location.

I was grateful to Don’s rigorous GGR safety requirements that built in redundancy.

Settling in

I was lucky to abandon Asteria in the morning, in sunshine and easy weather.

I had got wet inside the boat, but during the day and the afternoon I was able to keep the raft half open and also open my survival suit so that I was fairly dry before the evening.

The raft was also equipped with two hypothermia bags. After sunset it got a bit chilly, so I closed the raft and got into both of the bags.

I packed all the packaging foam into a plastic bag and sat on them. It was actually very comfortable; the four-person raft allowed me to stretch straight diagonally.

Tapio Lehtinen was pulled across the water using ropes thrown from the bulk carrier. Credit: Anglo Eastern

I dosed in short naps and one longer three-hour sleep during the night.

I was awoken by an albatross couple having a chat in the lee of the liferaft towards morning.

I love life on the ocean and, safe in the knowledge that my rescue was in good hands, watching the wildlife kept my morale high.

A growing flock of giant petrels gathered around the raft, joined later by storm petrels and a few albatrosses flying around me.

Continues below…

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Golden Globe Race – Tapio Lehtinen: ‘Within two minutes the water had gone from knee to waist height; I knew I had to leave the boat’

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The 2018 Golden Globe Race finisher Tapio Lehtinen tells Katy Stickland why his next adventure will be the pinnacle of…

One petrel, clearly the boss, eventually got close enough to take hold of my finger with his long beak a couple of times.

In the afternoon I got a message from Don that fellow GGR competitor Abhilash Tomy was on his way towards me.

Later I was informed that Kirsten Neuschafer aboard Minnehaha was roughly 100 miles away and the bulk carrier Darya Gayatri was 270 miles away and making 10-12 knots towards me, so I remained relaxed.

In the morning Don messaged that Kirsten’s ETA was earlier as she had found better wind and soon I saw her from the top of the swells on the horizon and established VHF contact with her, but only when both of us were on the top of a swell.

Tapio Lehtinen alongside the bulk carrier, Darya Gayatri . Credit: Anglo Eastern

She was not able to see me, but as she was coming downwind towards me, I could tell her to steer 15º to the starboard to get straight towards me.

I then sat again comfortably and to my great joy and surprise a sea turtle appeared next to the raft.

After a while spent admiring the turtle I realised that Kirsten had started sailing roughly 30º to starboard of me. I called her again on VHF but got no answer.

After 15 minutes she was abeam of me relative to the wind. I called her on the VHF with no answer but hoping that she would hear me I said I would fire a parachute flare.

Embarrassingly, it was the first one I had fired in my life. It went accordingly.

The 10m climb felt more like a 30m climb for Tapio Lehtinen after spending 24 hours in his liferaft. Credit: Anglo Eastern

I tried to send it directly up, but for some reason it shot off at 45º angle against the wind, arced down and hit the waves before the parachute even opened.

Luckily straight after that Kirsten replied on the VHF and I told her to turn 90º to port.

She later told me had seen the Darya Gayatri as a speck in the horizon and mistaken the 230m bulk carrier for my life raft and was sailing straight past me.

It just shows how difficult it is to find something in big swells even in daylight.

When she was approaching, I said I would fire another parachute flare in three minute. Even though she was waiting and looking for it and this time I fired it straight up, she didn’t see it in the bright daylight, or the handheld flare I also fired.

She then sailed past about half a mile to windward. She saw me once when I was waving the orange hypothermia bag with the paddle above the raft on top of a swell, but then lost me again.

The crew of Darya Gayatri bring Tapio Lehtinen’s liferaft onboard. Credit: Anglo Eastern

Finally, after the next VHF contact and instructions she got so close that we could talk over the VHF properly and I could give her exact directions so that she came directly towards me.

We then discussed over VHF how she was going to approach and get me aboard Minnehaha .

She furled in the genoa, lowered the main, started the engine and approached the raft to windward of me so I could throw the throwing line to her, which she put around a winch and pulled me alongside.

I was able to climb onboard Minnehaha with her help. It was great!

We had a big hug and shared a glass of rum and a few chocolate bars to get the blood sugar up.

Tapio Lehtinen waves goodbye to Kirsten Neuschafer after she hand steered through the night to reach him after his boat sank. Credit: Anglo Eastern

Darya Gayatri was already approaching and I would soon need to be fit to climb the ladder.

Kirsten and the captain of Darya Gayatri , Naveen Kumar Mehrotra, then had a professional and precise discussion over VHF about how the ship would first position her starboard side against the wind so that Kirsten could then manoeuvre Minnehaha into her lee at a safe distance without risking her rig in the big swell.

Everything went smoothly.

Tapio Lehtinen is a life-long sailor from Helsinki who started in Optimist dinghies at the age of 6. A former Commodore of the Helsingfors Segelsällskap (HSS) Yacht Club, he has raced everything from Lasers to the Whitbread race, including a three-decade-long racing career in his classic 6m May Be IV. He has competed in the 1981/2 Whitbread Round the World race aboard Skopbank of Finland; the 1985 Two-handed Round Britain and Ireland Race; the 1986 2-STAR transatlantic race, the 1987 Azores-and-Back race; and the 2014 Bermuda Race. He is now preparing his Swan 55, Galiana for the 2023 Ocean Globe Race. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR 2022

Two throwing lines were thrown to Minnehaha ; I grabbed one of them, got back to the raft and tied the line to the raft, and Kirsten let me disembark Minnehaha.

I was then pulled against the side of Darya Gayatri to the bottom of a 10m rope ladder.

With the raft rising and falling a couple of metres in the swell, I managed to choose the right moment to grab the ladder.

A relieved Tapio Lehtinen after his 24 hours ordeal. Credit: Anglo Eastern

The 10m climb felt more like 30m. But everything went fine, with the crew of Darya Gayatri on deck helping and welcoming me onboard, then pulling the raft up after me.

Since then, I have been enjoying the hospitality of the Indian crew, who have provided me with clothes, a bed, transport to Jakarta and wonderful Indian cuisine.

*Tapio has since made landfall in Jakarta and is now making arrangements to travel back to Finland in time for Christmas.

Lessons Learned: The boat

• Construction: I may never know what caused the sinking. I completed a full refit of my boat in before the 2018 GGR, including additional kevlar lamination over the hull, a new deck, new longitudinal stringers and five new watertight bulkheads. With retrospect, I would take both the external strengthening of the hull laminate, as well as the internal longitudinal stringers all the way to the transom of the boat.
• Through hull fittings: My first thought was that a through hull fitting must have failed between the two stern watertight bulkheads, filling the compartment and breaking the bulkhead so the water could flood forwards, but could a single failed skin fitting let in 20-30 cubic metres of water in just five minutes? In any case, I will now only use through-hull fittings with an external flange rather than the ones faired flush to the hull, which may be less strong, and will re-examine whether bronze or composite is a stronger choice.
• Windvane & transom loads: A new force stressing the transom compared with the 2018 race was my new Hydrovane windvane with its own steering blade attached aft of the transom. While this gave improved course-holding, it may have put the narrow stern under a new, sideways stress. Could wave and rigging stress over the best part of 40,000 miles in four years have caused delamination of the hull? The sheerline of the deck was intact and the rig didn’t go slack, so she didn’t fold in half, but could a hole have opened up somewhere aft? The boat is now 5,000m beneath the waves, so we’ll never know for sure.

Lessons Learned: Abandoning Ship

• Sat comms is paramount: I was pleased with the order in which I grabbed the things to take into the raft. The absolute first priority is a satellite device, which lets the MRCC and, in my case, the race organisers know where I am. Even in remote waters help is rarely more than two to four days away. You will not die in hunger or even in thirst during that time. An EPIRB, PLB, and ideally a satellite tracker and messaging device is your best friend.
• Survival suit: Next was the survival suit. I was lucky with the weather , but if you get wet and it is cold, hypothermia will hit you sooner than thirst or hunger. You have to keep warm and dry with a survival suit.
• Casting off too soon: It was a mistake to cut the painter. There was a good and safe-to-use round-ended knife attached to the raft next to the painter, but as I had never seen the raft open, I didn’t dare to rely on it. I would put a pocket knife ready in the pocket of my survival suit. I very nearly lost my main means of survival when it drifted off.
• Location signalling: It wasn’t easy for Kirsten to spot the raft between the swells. I needed a way to be more visible, and holding the high-vis hypothermia bag up on a paddle wasn’t very stable. How about a telescopic fishing rod and a high-vis flag, a balloon, or a kite which would have flown even higher? Collapsible emergency VHF antennae are now available that would have made me more visible and also helped with my radio transmissions

Lessons Learned: Equipment

• Reading glasses: I need strong reading glasses, so I should definitely have had a pair packed in my comms grab box and another pair in the pocket of my survivalsuit. I struggled to read and write text messages.
• Photography: A spare GoPro-camera would have allowed me to document the sinking, the wildlife and the rescue, for which I had plenty of time.
• Watch your raft being packed: The Plastimo raft was well equipped in addition to the emergency water and food. The only thing missing was a Gideon Bible and a bathroom. It would have helped, however, if I had seen exactly what was inside and where it was stowed beforehand.
• Flares: I was disappointed with how my pyrotechnic flares performed. Prior practice would have helped with my operation of them.
• Zip lubrication: Check that the zipper of your survival suit is lubricated. Luckily, I had the lubrication stuff in the raft. But a dry, heavy-duty metal zipper is a real challenge if not lubricated, and could become a real safety issue if you can’t get it closed. Besides, an old man needs to open it every once in a while.
• Calls of nature: Finally, what the hell do you do in a life raft if you need to poo? I knew that help was on its way, so I fed the emergency food to the petrels (they didn’t like it) and avoided the challenge. For female sailors, something like a ‘she-wee’ would avoid the need to remove the whole survival suit, which would neither be easy nor particularly safe. Urinating inside the suit, for either gender, is likely to get you wet and very cold.

Enjoyed reading Exclusive: Tapio Lehtinen shares the lessons he learned after being rescued during the Golden Globe Race?

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According to Yachting World :

Besides three watertight bulkheads and foam buoyancy in the bow, Lehtinen added an additional pair of watertight bulkheads aft , which were not specified in the safety requirements of the race rules but he built in for added security. The first was just forward of the rudder tube, the second a few feet further forward. All through-hull fittings were position between the two to try and eliminate the risk of a failed skin fitting flooding the boat.

plane brackets fitted with 2 M10 bolts

My fear is that the very substantial leverage generated by the auxiliary rudder system was more than Asteria could safely absorb indefinitely and that after 8,000 nautical miles or so, that lower mounting bracket began to work loose and the whole system began to move. This would only increase the loads passed to the hull and since the lower bracket is generally submerged at sea, any hull damage in this area would be a serious problem. Tapio says, “I woke up to a loud bang”. There has been no mention of any impact or rig damage, so might this sudden noise have been the auxiliary rudder system bracket pulling out of the hull? It is not inconceivable that the rate of water ingress through the resulting hole could sink a boat in minutes.

I understand this is speculation and that we may never know what happened – indeed Tapio himself may have no idea what happened – but having spent a large (!) part of my life thinking about the best ways to mount windvane self-steering systems on boats, I cannot help but share my concerns. Hopefully we will hear Tapio’s thoughts on possible causes of the sinking when the time is right. This, of course, is by far the most important element of the story: whatever it was that befell Asteria, at least we have only lost a boat.

UPDATE 21.November 2022 : Tapio is describing the entire situation in finnish language He is mentioning that a collision has not taken place.

UPDATE 22.november 2022 from Finland is being reported that obviously Tapio told the Finnish broadcasting campany Yle , that the bang might have been the aft bulkhead collapsing.

UPDATE 23.november 2022

Kommentar von Jeff Halpern

My sense is therefore is that while the steering system attachment theory has some merit, it is more likely that there are multiple factors involved, and that those may or may not include the self-steering system. As a side note, in the IOR/RORC days, high backstay tensions were capable of “banana’ing” a boat. This typically resulted from over tensioning the backstay and pulling up on the transom. This forced the topsides outward sheering the hull to deck joint and tearing the tabbing on the bulkheads. While it does not seem likely that this is the cause of the sinking, it is possible that something similar damaged the bond between the bulkheads and the hull. But this last comment is wild conjecture on my part,

UPDATE 24.november 2022

UPDATE 28.november 2022

The Asteria probably inspired awe in every observer, for the mighty mast with enormously strong rigging gave no thought to how it was introduced into and carried by the hull? Could it be that Tapio or his advisors in Finland also lost sight of this aspect a little? A slender hull, presumably without any longitudinal stringers in the stern, raises exactly these questions in view of the sinking.

With today’s knowledge, I would consider the sinking of the Asteria to be tremendously lucky for Tapio, because the sinking happened in calm weather and help was quickly at hand. Tapio was saved, his life goes on. Presumably, the survival of this solo sailor would hardly have been possible in heavy weather or even a capsize, because the Asteria would have collapsed and sunk within minutes. The rescue of the skipper could then have become a challenge.

A different outcome of this disaster would also have been fraught with devastating consequences for the organiser, because well-rehearsed professional measures could fail if the basic substance of a ship was not sufficiently considered.

Seen in this light, the rescue for Tapio is also a blessing for Don, a good fortune that should not be put to the test, in my opinion.

INFORMATION ABOUT DON MCINTYRE AND WINDVANE SYSTEMS

THE WINDVANE REPORT

REASONS ABOUT WHY ONLY TWO WINDPILOT ENTRIES IN GGR 2022?

Peter Foerthmann 
 Hamburg, 20 November 2022

22 Responses to Tapio Lehtinen

Brillant description (with perfect pictures) of the most probable reason for the “bang” and fast sinking. The question which remains for Tapio, is whether there were any kind of “warning signals” during the 8000nM voyage till that moment (sounds, vibrations etc). Thank you!

Maybe the prop? Some cruisers prefer a fixed with three blades which create a lot of pressure compared to folding. If a fixed is left running the coupling shaft to engine might get loose. Pity with Tapios good-looking boat.

Excellent theory breakdown and quite plausible.

Hydrostatic pressure created behind the aft bulkhead is relatively small, so likelihood of bulkhead collapsing instantly is small. It is above static waterline and mainly above dynamic waterline – even when full water or heeling. Also the area where the lower support is attached is having significant strength due to molding process in two parts. Of course having an issue at the same time, two parts. I bet that these have been checked on refit. If hydrovane lower support would have been ripped of from the bottom and leaving a hole, hydrovane would not been steering. Vane would not been standing there at all, hopefully Tapio remembers if that have been missing. So yes, a risky position – small distances between attachments, but at least I have hard times to believe that would have caused such an instant inrush of water. That would require 4-8″ hole somewhere closer to engine compartment.

While the theories about the failure of the attachment of the windvane/ auxiliary rudder system are entirely plausible, that theory cannot be the entire story. The reason that I say that is that there were two watertight compartments between the transom and the cabin. It seems to me that if the steering system tore off a piece of the transom and bottom, simply breaching those areas would have only flooded the aft waterproof compartment.

Even if it is assumed that the transom and counter were breached massively, the vertical height of the water in the aft compartment would be limited to the distance between the breach and the low point of the hull, which (judging by the pictures) is perhaps 30-40 cm. And while there would be some free surface affect, with the bulkhead perhaps a meter or so forward of the transom, it is hard to imagine frees surface effect generating enough force to blow out the two watertight bulkheads if they were reasonably well constructed (which aft bulkhead appears to be in the photo).

More to the point, assuming the theory stated above is correct, without breaching both watertight bulkheads, I respectfully suggest that the boat could not sink that quickly even if it lost a large chunk of its transom and bottom within the after compartment.

My sense is therefore is that while the steering system attachment theory has some merit, it is more likely that there are multiple factors involved, and that those may or may not include the self-steering system.

As a side note, in the IOR/RORC days, high backstay tensions were capable of “banana’ing” a boat. This typically resulted from over tensioning the backstay and pulling up on the transom. This forced the topsides outward sheering the hull to deck joint and tearing the tabbing on the bulkheads. While it does not seem likely that this is the cause of the sinking, it is possible that something similar damaged the bond between the bulkheads and the hull. But this last comment is wild conjecture on my part,

The HV attachment is the most obvious weak spot here, in what is otherwise a very strong boat.

The short distance between top and bottom bracket, the huge vertical lever to the bottom of the HV rudder and the extra lever forward (!!) to the attachment point of the bottom bracket all work together to create enormous moments/forces, which have to be absorbed by just 2 x M10 bolts and the surrounding laminate.

This is a very confined area as well, which provides only very limited access (without taking the boat apart) to install backing plates and strengthening of laminate etc as is recommended in the HV manual!

This looks like an accident waiting to happen?

Oliver Schönrock

There were 2 watertight compartments in stern of Asteria. Bulkheads do not fail very easily, they are simple and easy to use, with no moving parts. We find them in all boats, so theres no lack of data points. If the leak would be in the transom and in the fastening points of the HV, would it have to break through not only one, but two watertight bulkheads? Normally boat like Asteria would happily sail on with the last watertight compartment filled with water and racing sailor like Tapio would definetely sense it in the movements of the boat, if there suddenly would be couple hundred kilos of extra weight in the back. Also the last compartment was in the light winds completely over the waterline, so if there would have been a leak in the bottom, it would also have drained out in the light winds. Only way to fill it completely is from the top. I really dont see this happening due to the HV failure.

Another thing is that saloon filled up quickly (5min), but the last stages of the event took 20min with the waterline decklevel. We know for sure that the saloon was flooded. If all the compartments in the stern would have failed the boat would have gone under in one go. The fact that boat went under stern first might be just because the compartments in the bow were bigger and they were not finally big enought to keep Asteria afloat.

What is not clear is why he changed from a perfectly good Windpilot Pacific vane to a Hydrovane, particularly given the mounting challenges of installing one. Can someone please explain? Thank you

He changed, because Asteria has an unusual rudder, which is very far forward in the boat (see pics). Because it is so close to the centre of the boat, it cannot provide much steering force/torque. So even if a pendulum system like the Winpilot Pacific gives a strong steering signal it will not result in a very strong steering force/moment via the main rudder.

The HV is an auxillary rudder system which is mounted right at the back and there, unusually, has a (perceived) advantage in this respect over a servo pendulum system in terms of potentially providing more steering input to the boat.

Tapio thought this would give him better performance in the race. He is quoted saying that in several places.

I fully agree with Oliver Schoenrock. Lets wait for Tapios explanation (no clue?)…., and if there where any “warning signals” during the 8000 nM voyage! I saw some strange course changes before the sinking (?)…. There are massive forces on the hull/stern with HV at the stern of the boat (I experienced it).

Very good analysis but we are assuming that no butt blocks were used on the inside of the hull to spread the load which would be standard practice.

A friend of mine, Nick Batty , lost his yacht during a circumnavigation with seemingly similar circumstances. Hence I have been pondering possible causes. Whilst purely conjecture (albeit of a Naval Architect), I wonder if the encapsulated ballast long keels in yachts of Asteria’s vintage can potentially suffer catastrophic hull failure through fatigue. I know GRP has proved far more resistant to fatigue failure than anticipated in the 1970s but – when you subject a yacht of Asteria’s age to prolonged oceanic conditions – is it possible that limit has been reached? Moreover, the refit seemed to focus on replacing the deck and bulkheads with only an epoxy coating to the skin (inside and out). Local stiffness might have exacerbated fatigue at the keel root between bulkheads. Crack propogation would account for the noise and its relatively deep immersion , the quick ingress of water. Tapio is a consumate seaman so it is difficult to imagine he would have been sailing with any of Asteria’s watertight integrity relaxed or compromised. I am interested in this possible scenario because we imagine yachts of Gaia 36 vintage being well-founded, over-engineered, seaworthy craft – but do they now have an inherent weakness that is difficult to evaluate?

Tapio was sailing in an area influenced by the Agulhas current. This current runs in a Southerly direction down the East African coast picking up all types of marine litter from semi submerged shipping containers, tree trunks and all sorts of other bulky objects. With the variable direction through the water steering with a wind vane system it is not beyond possibility that the boat suffered a glancing blow to a shipping container ripping a serious gash in the hull. Over the years many boats attempting a circumnavigation have been damaged in this general area. Sam Davies in the last Vendee Globe comes to mind. For such a well built boat to sink so quickly it has to have been a catastrophic breach of the hull.

I have sailed very little but power boated quite a bit, and I have built and repaired various boats etc. I am not a mathematician, but if there was just a 4″ hole from a ripped out anchor point, that won’t sink a boat that size in 5 minutes and there is no meaningful “pressure” that is generated from a couple dozen(or hundreds) of gallons water against a sealed fiberglass/wood bulkhead that it would fail unless REALLY poorly constructed which doesn’t seem likely by this apparently thorough and experienced guy. In addition, if a 4″ hole was the problem he could have done as merchant and military marines have done for ages with wooden boats that sustained minor damage and just dropped a spare sail around the hull to be sucked into the rupture to drastically reduce the inflow so as to buy time to make a repair. Or has this become a lost art ?? I think it is much more likely that a sharp edge punched a BIG HOLE OR CRACK or that the hull cracked from some over-pressure on a tensioned line. He would have really had to misattach the steering anchor into a very weak hull section to cause a crack big enough to sink a boat of this size that quickly. However, if he somehow overlooked this error, I think that it forced a large crack to open and not a small hole. It is also possible in theory that the naval architect above is correct about a catastrophic keel failure. I have ZERO familiarity with an understanding of those loads, but again the idea of a long crack in fiberglass is easier to accept than a large hole simply because of the way fiberglass reacts to stresses and blunt injury.

Thank you for your article. As usual full of interesting information. I have been following Tapio’s Asteria sinking from as many online sources as I can find and have come to similar conclusions.

My thoughts as follows: The cantilevered hydrovane rudderstock exerts considerable transverse loads from normal rudder hydrodynamic force to the lower bearing bracket. These loads can be calculated from vessel speed and rudder area etc. Additional wave impact loads to the rudder can be considerable, these are difficult to determine as the speed of wave impact can be very high. The hydrovane rudder as mounted on Asteria’s long stern overhang appears particularly prone to wave damage. The loads from the Windpilot, or any servo pendulum system, are a small fraction of the loads from a direct mounted Hydrovane rudder. The rudder lateral load multiplied by the long cantilever arm provides the moment that must be reacted against by the upper and lower bearings and related mountings. The smaller the distance between the mounts the higher the force that is absorbed by the fastenings. As you point out the distance between bearings is small and the loads are relatively high. IMO The two lower bearing bracket bolts (10mm) in sheer are likely to exceed the GRP hull load bearing capacity (depending on GRP thickness in the bolting area). The holes through the GRP may elongate and cause local weaking of the GRP hull skin laminate. The allowed GRP bearing load can also be easily calculated. The local GRP damage from the failed bracket mounting bolts can spread to the transom hull tabbing, and result in catastrophic structural failure in the transom area as the damage propagates. Stainless steel bolts will suffer fatigue from the cyclic loading. The bolts are semi-submerged and may be vulnerable to stress corrosion cracking. Should the lower support mounting bolts fail (THE BANG?) the Hydrovane would rotate around the upper bearing supports which would likely cause sections of the deck to be ripped off and a hull breach at the lower mounting area allowing down flooding into the vessel. Tabbing of bulkheads and transom appears minimal from the images contained in your report. The very narrow hull cross section at the stern is less able to withstand torsional twisting from the Hydrovane rudder loads. Tortional loads in the hull shell would be absorbed and the partly transferred to the transom and bulkhead tabbing. Failure of the transom or bulkhead hull bond (tabbing) could compromise the panel edge stiffness and could lead to bulkhead failure through buckling and allow water to flood into the vessel interior. A further consideration is the oversized rigging and mast section. I understand rigging is upsized from 8mm to 12mm? Standing rigging is normally pre-loaded to approximately 15-20% of the breaking strain. The much larger mast section would require significantly more back stay tension to achieve the required mast prebend. I expect the backstay static loading would be significantly higher and this additional global load may not have been adequately considered for the scantlings calculations and may be a compounding factor.

I expect we may hear more in due course. Seems Hydrovane may not be the best horse to back… I do get there are advantages and disadvantages to the different windvane configurations.

Tragic result, but interesting discussion. I can only add my gut feeling to all the interesting theories put forward but as a lifetime naval architect, here is what they are. Although the auxiliarly steering does not have a favourable mount and had to be attached to a transon that has very low height, I really doubt this is the main cause of sinking. Sure, loads could be high enough in storm conditions to cause transom failure, but not only is the transom quite high above the water, but I understand conditions were relatively quiet when this happened. The major stress riser to me is from the backstay. With the stronger mast and heavier wire, this could have been set up ‘on the strong side’, creating high loads in the bottom skin between the real rudder and the transom. We can factor in some aging fierglass that may well have had a high percentage of CSM in its construction that was quite normal at the time this boat was built … fine for overall hydrostatic pressure, but weak for high tension. So let’s assme this was the normal sailing condition. Things can all hold together like this and no one is really aware of how close the skin might be to its limit. Now add to this a collision with some rugged flotsam, like the corner of a submerged contained that the boat may have just dropped down on in a wave. While just ‘a hard bump’ if the hull was normally stressed, this could easily be ‘the bursting of the balloon or egg’, if the hull was already close to its limit. The whole after bottom could then explode open with a bang and almost instantly fill both watertight compartments and quickly flow forward into the cabin area. So yes, an accident waiting to happen, but all well concealed within the old skin of the hull. So whenever adding new rigging loads to an old boat, its essential to add new longitudinals to the bottom shell to take the new load. All conjecture on my part, but I submit this as very feasible as we await Tapio’s input. Congrats to all who pulled off his safe rescue

All of the comments concerning the sinking of Asteria appear to be well reasoned. My modest contribution would be “all of the above” when placed under overarching comments written here by Keri Harris.

In June 2019, I met Tapio in Rendsburg. We let our thoughts wander in the evening sun. Tapio was already determined to offer his Asteria the same voyage again without a shell escort. Presumably the regatta sailor in him was his whip. He almost seemed sad that he didn’t have to face any heavy storms. Do I remember correctly that he would also have liked to pass a capsize once? In any case, skipper and ship appeared as one, Tapio’s unbounded confidence was contagious: ship and rig bulletproof. It could have all worked out! But it didn’t!

With today’s knowledge, I would consider the sinking of the Asteria to be tremendously lucky for Tapio, because the sinking happened in calm weather and help was quickly at hand. Tapio was saved, his life goes on. Presumably, the survival of this solo sailor would hardly have been possible in heavy weather or even a capsize, because the Asteria would have collapsed and sunk within minutes. The rescue of the skipper could then have become a challenge.

Hamburg 28.11.2022 Peter Foerthmann

Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Asteria’s rudder was modified for this race completely and area below lowest hinges was about doubled. Try to find the pictures. But it was totally different compared to original elliptical one. Area overall was also bigger but especially the lowest part. Hinges looked exactly the same. So this is one major difference w Hydrovane instead of wind pilot. Hinge failure would cause catastrophic results.

Hi Peter, A few days ago we arrived in Puerto Williams from the Pacific. We had an uneventful crossing from Rapa Iti in the Austral Islands. Sure we had some weather but nothing extreme. The Windpilot steered all the way and as usual without any problems. Even a bit better then before for I had made a new pendulum rudder since the old wooden one had gotten very rough on the surface. So the new slick one performed even better.

Just heard of the Finish guy that needed to be rescued from the GGR. If your boat fills up with water so quickly you must have a major hole somewhere. Not just a hose coming of. Did the lower support of the Hydrovane rip out? The upper support looks pretty solid on the pictures but you can’t see any on the lower support. Would be interesting to know if the Hydrovane was still in upright positon when he had to step into the liferaft? Some questions may arise: Is the Watt&amp+Sea also mounted to the Hydrovane? To make matters worse? How watertight were the watertight bulkheads then? Guess Tapio must have seen if the Hydrovane had shifted? But will you get honest answers since they al seem to cover their sponsers????

Cheers Mark en Caro on board Jonathan

after reading this report of Mr Tapio disaster I feel all potential problems and reasons have been carefully addressed. In my opinion the change for the new self steering has been kind of wrong step on this boat. However accidents like that looks like a chain. Everything must come together! Jayme Souza onboard Suleca from Brazil

Hallo Peter, Auch ich verfolge das GGR 2022 mit all dem Drama und Publicity.

Das lange Video der Bootsbau-Experten zum tragischen Verlust von Tapio’s S+S blieb ohne Ergebnis, und das unglaublich schnelle Sinken übers Heck wurde am Ende auf eine mysteriöse Kollision geschoben. Ich stimme Dir bei dass die Belastung der Hydrovane auf den elegant-grazilen Spiegel durchaus die wirkliche Ursache gewesen sein könnte.

Nun schnitzt sich Abhil aus Klotüre, Kartentisch und Notruder immer wieder neue Pendulumruder für seine Windpilot. Er segelt extrem an oder auch weit über den Grenzen, beide Windgeneratoren waren z.B. unter Wasser. Vielleicht erklärt das sein Problem der WSA, das nur eines von sehr vielen auf seiner Reise ist. Weisst Du wodurch sein WSA Problem verursacht ist, immerhin hat er angeblich zwei Anlagen an Bord.

Du weisst, ich bin überzeugt vom Jordan Drogue in Sturm, der lt. englischer Definiton erst ab 10 Bft. beginnt. Damit sind solch massive und zerstörerische Knockdowns ausgeschlossen, die keine WSA mehr meistern kann. Siehe Kapitel 14 in der neuen Ausgabe von Heavy Weather Sailing, Edition 8.

In nun knapp 300K Seemeilen habe ich nur einmal im Sturm von Hand gesteuert und wäre dabei südlich von Australien fast durchgekentert. Wenn die Aries es nicht mehr schafft, kann ich es eben auch nicht. Meiner Meinung gibt es keine Situation um mit einer guten WSA selbst steuern zu müssen.

Der Schaden an der Aries von Patrick ist noch immer nicht erklärt. Angeblich rutschte der 25mm Hauptschaft heraus (ist doppelt gesichert), ohne dass Teile verloren gingen oder die Anlage selbst bsschädigt wurde. Freunde von mir die selbst eine Aries haben, sprachen kürzlich mit Patrick in Lanzarote, Patrick hielt sich bedeckt.

Warum ich Dir schreibe? Vielleicht weil ich wie Du weiss wie kritisch eine gut funktionierende und gut montierte WSA für Solosegler gerade auf eine solch einer 8+ Monate langen Reise ist.

Vielleicht auch weil es an der Zeit ist mal mit Dir Kontakt aufzunehmen?

Mit Grüssen, Nehaj-Susanne

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Discover the Extraordinary: Yacht SAMARA – A Perfect Fusion of Luxury and Adventure

Prepare to embark on a journey of unparalleled luxury and boundless adventure aboard the exceptional yacht SAMARA. In a league of its own, SAMARA redefines the concept of yachting, combining lavish comfort with an irresistible spirit of exploration. This vessel stands as a true gem in the realm of monohull and catamaran hull yachts, boasting an unmatched blend of opulence and daring.

Named after the graceful “winged seed of the Sycamore tree,” SAMARA was meticulously crafted to effortlessly navigate vast distances and shallow waters, embracing the art of efficient and steady voyages. Unveil an array of innovative features, from state-of-the-art solar power technology to the natural elegance of cork decks. Whether you seek pulse-pounding adventures or serene relaxation, SAMARA caters to every type of guest, promising an unforgettable experience.

Prepare to be captivated from the moment you step aboard. SAMARA’s voluminous 4000 square feet of space are a testament to its design ingenuity, outshining even larger monohulls, thanks to its expansive 31’ beam, far exceeding the conventional 20’.

As you step onto the AFT DECK, a spacious al fresco dining area awaits, cocooned in comfort and optionally enclosed with eisinglass. Here, a full barbeque grill stands ready for culinary delights, inviting you to savor delectable moments. Quench your thirst or savor a moment of tranquility at the well-appointed bar to starboard. Beyond, a panoramic view unfolds, drawing you into the heart of SAMARA’s splendor.

Enter the MAIN SALON and be welcomed by an ambiance of sophistication and warmth. An open-plan galley to starboard is adorned with bar stools, seamlessly connecting with the inviting lounge area on the port side. Concealed above, a 55″ TV elevates entertainment, transforming the space into a cinematic haven. Venture forward and descend a few steps to discover a cozy, sunken lounge—an intimate escape, complete with a captivating fireplace for those windswept evenings.

The grandeur continues with the forward-facing MASTER suite on the main deck, embracing the outdoors with panoramic views through port and starboard windows. The ensuite Master bathroom, adorned with designer waterfall taps, double sinks, and a private toilet, epitomizes luxury. Adjacent, a walk-in wardrobe offers ample storage. A private glass door leads to the Jacuzzi deck, a private oasis enshrouded by SAMARA’s graceful superstructure, where petal-shaped loungers invite you to bask in the sun or lose yourself in a captivating book.

Descend to the port and starboard hulls, where two Queen staterooms await, each featuring spacious showers, private toilets, and abundant storage. The starboard hull accommodates 2-3 guests in a double bed with a pullman bunk, accompanied by en suite facilities.

Venture to the SUN DECK, a daytime retreat akin to a private villa garden. Custom cabanas offer shade and comfort, while chaise lounges and bean bags invite you to soak up the sun. An exclusive ‘jump seat’ sunpad commands a spectacular view from the helm. As twilight falls, the SUN DECK transforms into a magical haven, hosting cinematic nights and elegant dinners under the stars—an undeniable highlight cherished by all.

Last but not least, the SWIM PLATFORM beckons, a vibrant hub of activity and relaxation. A hydraulic center stage secures wave runners, transforming into a beach club paradise with chairs and inflatable cushions. Steps and swim ladders in each hull offer easy water access, perfect for SCUBA diving, water sports, or simply indulging in the joys of the sea.

In the world of luxury yachting, SAMARA is a masterpiece that transcends expectations. With an unmatched blend of opulence, innovation, and adventure, SAMARA invites you to seize the helm of your dream voyage and create memories that will last a lifetime.

SPECIFICATION

• Lenght: 24.17 m
• Beam: 9.05 m
• Draft: 1.4 m
• Built: 2016
• Refit: 2020
• Engine: 2 x 800hp MAN R6
• Cruising Speed: 12
• Max Speed: 22
• Fuel Consumption: 110 Litres/Hr
• Stabilizer: No
• Deck jacuzzi: No

CABIN CONFIGURATION

Water toys & tenders.

• 25′ Gamefish Sea Hunt Towed Tender w/ 300HP (New 2019)
• Thundercat Inflatable Bloat 50Hp
• 2 x Wave Runners (New 2019)
• 6 x SCUBA gear
• 10 x SCUBA tanks
• 2 x Inflatable Paddle Boards
• 1 x Sea Scooter
• Snorkeling gear
• Dive compressor
• “Big Mable” -Towable (inflatable) 2-3 seater
• Floating Island (critter free net bottom)
• Deep Sea Fishing Gear

CHARTER YACHT SAMARA

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SAMARA - 80 Feet Luxury Yacht Charter

SAMARA is a very unique catamaran, a truly rare find. Coming in at 80 feet, the space is remarkable with 4,000 square feet aboard, beyond that of larger monohulls and attributed to her 31-foot beam versus the typical 20 feet. Packed with innovative features, such as solar power technology and cork decks while catering to the most adventurous or laid-back cruisers, every type of guest will appreciate what this yacht has to offer.

Until stepping aboard it is hard to imagine the comfort, quality and spaciousness of SAMARA, which was built to glide effortlessly and steadily over long distances and in shallow water thanks to a minimum draft. Built in 2016, she has four cabins, including a master suite and three double cabins that sleep up to eight guests.

A true sanctuary on the main deck is the forward facing master suite with open plan from port to starboard bringing in the beautiful views and natural light. The en-suite bathroom has double sinks featuring designer waterfall taps, as well as a private toilet and stall shower. There is a walk-in wardrobe with drawers and hanging closet with ample storage throughout the suite. A private glass door leads onto the Jacuzzi deck, serving as a full owner’s deck and offering privacy.

On the forward below deck in the port and starboard hulls, there are two queen staterooms, each with en-suite showers and toilets, as well as ample storage in two closets and cabinetry. Two to three more guests can find accommodation in the aft starboard hull in a suite that features a double bed with a Pullman bunk, also with en-suite facilities.

Out on the aft deck, there is an extra large alfresco dining area that is well sheltered, as well as a full barbeque grill. Entering the main salon, guests find an open plan galley and bar stools and a welcoming lounge area. Concealed overhead is a 55" TV, transforming this area into the perfect setting for a movie night or morning news while at the galley bar. This area also has easy access to a dayhead just forward of the lounge. A second lounge is situated a few steps down from the main salon. A cozy fireplace feature here make this lounge very inviting on a blustery evening.

Moving up to the sun deck to spend the day is like stepping into a private garden in a luxury villa. Two shaded cabanas easily accommodate up to three adults. If more sun is preferred, two comfortable chaise lounges and two bean bags can be positioned where guests wish. A ‘jumpseat’ sunpad situated in front of the helm on this level also provides the best view from above. The grassy texture covering the sun deck creates an island feel while also being soothing. As the sun sets, this deck transforms into a whole new experience. Whether experiencing movie night with the oversized cinema in position or a dinner under the stars, this is the most favored space aboard.

SAMARA also features an amazing swim platform that provides easy access to the water to enjoy a variety of activities, such as swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving and much more. A variety of water toys are available, including two wave runners, two paddle boards, two kayaks, a wakeboard, scuba gear, water skis, fishing equipment and inflatable water toys. With chairs and inflatable cushions this area can be transformed into the perfect beach club.

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SAMARA Yacht for Charter

Luxury motor yacht SAMARA is a stunning power cat built by Pachoud Motor Yachts in 2015, with an interior designed by Sylvia Bolton and exterior styling by Scott Jutson Yacht Design. She is built with a fiberglass hull and GRP superstructure, providing a perfect combination of performance and luxury.

SAMARA stands out from the usual charter crowd and her multi-hull configuration offers over 4,000 square feet of deck space. Within her interior, she accommodates up to eight guests in four luxurious cabins. The beautifully appointed master suite includes his-and-hers sinks in the en-suite bath, a walk-in wardrobe and a private glass door, which leads to the Jacuzzi. Two queen suites are located forward in the port and starboard hulls, and a further double cabin with additional Pullman bunk is to aft in the starboard hull. Charter yacht SAMARA also provides comfortable accommodation for two crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Motor yacht SAMARA’s interior is bright and fresh. Utilizing a largely neutral color palette with accents of blue and turquoise, beautiful furnishings and sumptuous seating throughout the yacht has a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. Charter guests can enjoy the views as much from inside as they can from out due to the yacht’s expansive windows.

Guests will fall in love with the charter yachts expansive deck spaces and her many amenities. SAMARA showcases a lovely sundeck with two large day beds. This deck space also functions as a helideck, allowing for a speedy disembarkation or the easy arrival of additional guests.

Charter guests can also make use of the tender for deep-sea fishing excursions or scuba diving trips, and SAMARA carries top-of-the-range equipment on board.

SAMARA is fitted with impressive leisure and entertainment facilities, making her the ideal charter yacht for socializing and entertaining with family and friends.

• Sundeck that converts into a helipad
• Expansive interior and exterior space
• Bright and fresh interior
• Private access to the Jacuzzi from the master
• A perfect combination of performance and luxury.

Charter Details

• Deck Jacuzzi
• Scuba Diving

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please inquire.

Accommodations

Specifications, toys & tenders.

• BRIG 8 meters Tender w/ 300HP (Brand New)
• Thundercat Inflatable Boat 50Hp
• 2 x Wave Runners (New 2019) (upon request & license is mandatory)
• 2 x Inflatable Paddle Boards
• 1 x Sea Scooter
• Snorkeling gear
• “Big Mable” -Towable (inflatable) 2-3 seater
• Floating Island (critter free net bottom)
• All particulars are given in good faith and are believed to be correct but cannot be guaranteed.

Winter Rates

2023/2024 Season. Rates p/week + expenses

€ 65,000

€ 70,000

Cruising Regions

• East Mediterranean
• Ionian Islands

Summer Rates

2024 Season. Rates p/week + expenses

Itineraries

Weekly rates from €65,000

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Marine News

Golden globe race lifesaving regulations. asteria sinking & lessons.

Tapio Lehtinen reflects on the sinking of Asteria and his rescue. Comms grab bag, tracking, texting and communications devices in the GGR. Time Compensation for Kirsten  Neuschäfer and Abhilash Tomy following Tapio’s rescue. Rigging issues for Elliott Smith in South Africa and Arnaud Gaist mid-Atlantic. The Roaring Forties are not there! Where are they?!

Many people talk about the eye watering effort GGR entrants make to meet the tough safety and qualifying requirements of this gruelling mind game called the Golden Globe. When all the boxes are ticked, they finally receive a “green card” in Les Sables d’Olonne just before the start. These unique GGR safety regulations have played an important part in saving Tapio Lehtinen following the sinking of his yacht in the Southern Ocean and he appreciates it! Two other entrants have rigging issues after 80 days at sea and Kirsten sets a new 219-mile day record! But the big question is…where are the Roaring Forties?

Golden Globe entrant Tapio Lehtinen (FIN) rescued from his life raft last week is currently enjoying the hospitality of his rescuers Capt. Naveen Kumar Mehrotra and his crew on the M.V.Darya Gayatri bound for Rizhao, China. He has no money, no passport, and no glasses, but is in good health and good spirits. He has now shared information with the organisers regarding this incident and rescue. He does not know for sure what caused the failure and sinking of his yacht “Asteria” and is still coming to terms with the loss of his beloved yacht.

“The accident was a devastating surprise, I had 100% confidence in Asteria being fit for the fight. She performed beautifully and I was very happy and proud of her. After a total rebuild four years ago for the 2018 GGR and being fitted out and inspected again this year, being flooded up to deck level in five minutes and sinking twenty minutes later in beautiful summer conditions is beyond my comprehension.

But the rock-solid professionalism of Don McIntyre in coordinating the rescue operation together with MRCCs in Cape Town, Kirsten Neuschäfer, Abhilash Tomy and m/v Darya Gayatri captain Naveen Kumar Mehrotra came as no surprise to me. On the contrary, already before the start of the race, at a safety briefing in Les Sables d’Olonne, I told my competitors that if we’d get into trouble, we would be in the best of hands. I never imagined that I would be the one.

Thank you, Don, – getting into the raft in a rush without my grab bags of food, medicine and water, I knew that it wouldn’t be a long stay”. Said by Tapio Lehtinen 

  When Tapio woke to a loud bang, he stepped into knee deep water with more flooding like a river from the engine compartment. With no time to think, he prepared the Plastimo “special edition” GGR Life raft in the cockpit and donned his dry survival suit, grabbing the small GGR Communications emergency grab bag on the way out. With the raft inflated beside the boat, the securing line he had re-set with a slip knot, unfortunately let go! It began drifting away... He could not go below for the main grab bag, as water was above waist height and the decks were awash, so he jumped for the raft now 3 metres from the boat. He had been unable to reach his EPIRB inside the boat, which later automatically water activated, sending the first DISTRESS alert. But it went down with the yacht 20 minutes later taking his two other emergency beacons with it.

Fortunately, GGR safety regulations require a PLB Distress beacon and waterproof VHF handheld radio with GPS to be packed inside the raft. In the shock of the moment, he forgot the PLB was in the raft.  He found it nearly two hours later and turned it on. At that point it was his only distress beacon. Inside the GGR comms grab bag his spare satellite phone was damaged while boarding the raft. (His main sat phone stored at the chart table went down with the ship). Also, inside was the backup waterproof YB3 satellite tracker and texting unit.

GGR control on learning of the EPIRB Distress and noting ASTERIA’s onboard Tracker was no longer transmitting, assumed the boat had sunk and that Tapio was probably in the raft. GGR remotely activated the backup YB3 and noted it had been powered on by Tapio. This was exciting news. A message was sent “Are You OK”? 

Tapio responded shortly after that he was in the raft, all well and Asteria had sunk! This then gave a second position of the raft that was linked to the GGR 24hr online tracking page for all to see. Using the same YB3 unit, Tapio was able to send and receive short messages from the raft, a great comfort for him as a survivor, his family and all his followers around the world. His rescue was a success.

“I know from experience over the past 30 years that when all goes wrong you may not get your grab bag, so what's in the raft is all you may have. I always pack a Distress beacon in my rafts and now a VHF/GPS, so I made it mandatory for GGR too. I also lost a good friend deep in the Southern Ocean in the 1986 BOC challenge when his 48hr EPIRB battery ran out before the ship arrived. We now insist on the YB3 unit in the GGR comms grab bag which tracks every 15 minutes for months, including two-way texting. Tapio was happy to have both”. Don McIntyre         This incident will be the subject of a full GGR report in the weeks ahead, which will be published so all can learn from the experience.

TIME COMPENSATION following “ASTERIA” sinking:

It is a long-held tradition of the sea, that if a mariner is in Distress and declares a “Mayday”, all other mariners will use their best endeavours to immediately assist if they are safely able to do so. Such was the case for Abhilash Tomy (IND)on Bayanat and Kirsten Neuschäfer (RSA)on Minnehaha when asked by GGR control to assist in the rescue of fellow GGR entrant Tapio Lehtinen on ASTERIA. Both altered courses immediately and stopped racing on receiving the request. The rescue was successful.

To calculate time compensation for both sailors all the facts affecting both sailors were considered, focusing on the primary impacts of:

1. Time away from the course

2. Changing and new weather systems on resuming the course.

3. Position at the start and finish of their diversion.

Primary Data.   

Abhilash acknowledged the rescue message at 0930 UTC and was subsequently released at 13:50 UTC, (4:20 hours). He confirmed he resumed racing at 1400 UTC (total 4:30 hours) and he also stayed on a higher course (80° approx.) for the duration of the rescue in case he may be needed. Engine: did not use the engine.

Distance 27.5 nm @ 50°, approx. Lateral 23 nm/vertical 15 nm

Kirsten acknowledged the rescue message at 1303UTC and called to confirm transfer to vessel at 0745+1 but stayed on scene until 1000 UTC before proceeding under reduced sails: total 22 hours. Engine hours: 2 beginning, 2 middle, 3 at the end for a total of 7 hours.

5 hrs @ 1.8K rpm=3.5 l/h= 15,5lt and 2 hrs @ 2.4K rpm=5 l/h = 10lt. Total 25.5 litres

Distance 100 miles @ 38°approx, lateral 57 nm/vertical 83 nm

The following time compensation has been determined. Kirsten Neuschäfer 35 hours + 30 litres of fuel.  Abhilash Tomy 12hrs.

Abhilash and Kirsten both commented that it took some time to let the adrenaline go, and get back into racing mode. Abhilash remained on a more northerly course than normal for the duration of the rescue, asking to be updated on progress and Kirsten had steered Minnehaha all night and manoeuvred at close quarters to the vessel for Tapio’s transfer.

Rig failures 80 days out of Les Sables d’Olonne Elliott Smith (USA) turned around on the 22nd of November, shortly after going through the Cape Town Gate, for a bowsprit failure. Fellow entrant Jeremy Bagshaw (RSA) who lives in Simon’s Town suggested he moor on the Simon’s Town’s mooring buoy in False Bay, well sheltered from the strong forecast South Westerlies. Local sailors guided him in at dusk.

Elliott Smith (27) / USA / Gale Force 34 – ” SECOND WIND ” bowsprit repaires on Simon’s Town mooring. Picture Credit: Simon McDonnell / FBYC His bowsprit was broken on one side and bent on the other, with the bobstay being slightly bent in the process. The Notice of Race allows Entrants receive onsite technical advice but no physical assistance. Elliott welcomed the advice from local sailors and riggers on repairing and strengthening his bowsprit. Following three hectic days and after reviewing pictures, videos and listening to Elliott’s descriptions, the GGR organisers approved the repairs and Elliott set sail once again bound for Hobart.

“We were able to monitor and assess Elliott’s bowsprit repairs thanks to photos and video supplied by Simon McDonnel from FBYC right up to sea trials. While not perfect, our opinion is that managed correctly by the skipper, the repaired bowsprit is not unsafe. He has addressed the compression issues and added extra security to stop it folding up again. The inner forestay supports the mast well and combined with running backstays secures the mast without consideration of the forestay when sailing with the staysail and reefed main. The furling genoa is being swapped for a smaller jib and the entire Southern Ocean legs can be sailed under staysail alone.”  Don McIntyre, GGR Founder and Chairman

In 1968 Bernard Moitessier damaged his Bowsprit and spent a few days in the same area effecting repairs before continuing on. Elliott made no landing and received no physical support, so remains in the GGR rankings. He is now on his way to Hobart.

Shortly after, Arnaud Gaist (FRA) called the GGR Control to explain mast and rigging issues, and that he can no longer sail to windward before it’s solved. He described a bending mast last week and that he worked on rig tensions to re-establish symmetry.

In his last call on Friday morning, he advised that his mast base was moving, that a lower shroud needed tightening and that the bobstay fitting supporting the Bowsprit came under stress, indicating further issues in the symmetry and compression of the whole rig.

He is still 1000 miles away from Cape Town, but North of the usual High-Pressure systems, therefore sailing upwind, facing the swell, which is putting extra pressure on the rig. He is struggling to make Cape Town and now has little chance of making the Hobart Gate which closes on January 31st 2023. He is currently sailing downwind and assessing options for repair at sea, or whether he should follow predominately easterly winds for repairs in Brazil.

Meanwhile, Guy Waites (UK), the last victim of hull invasion, has given-up on trying to scrape the barnacles at sea as it is too dangerous with little effect. He explained in his last call that he made up his mind and will have to slip the boat in Cape Town.

Unusual Southern Indian Ocean conditions for the fleet so far.

Simon Curwen (UK), Kirsten Neuschäfer (RSA), Abhilash Tomy (IND) and Michael Guggenberger (AUT) have all improved their personal best over a 24-hours distance last week, with Kirsten obliterating the record with 219 miles in a day, but it took quite a while to get there. In fact, the Atlantic conditions were not the ones the fleet expected, and the same applies to the Southern Indian Ocean.

This year, an unusual Antartic polar vortex is contributing to a weather anomaly which is pushing the usual strong westerly winds of the Roaring Forties further south than usual. Some high-pressure systems are also lower than normal, pushing the roaring forties toward the furious fifties.

This may slow progress toward Hobart as the fleet experiences more of a mixed bag of wind directions and strengths as Simon Curwen explains. The good news is that some of the intense low-pressure storms may also stay below their route to Hobart and later Cape Horn. Only time will tell, but sailing along the 40th parallel of latitude looks like a different ride this year.    

Image: Elliott Smith (27) / USA / Gale Force 34 – ” SECOND WIND ” bowsprit repaires on Simon’s Town mooring. Picture Credit: Simon McDonnell / FBYC

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Samara - Crewed Motor Yacht Charter

Samara €65,000.

Samara Image 1/26

Refit 2024 - Mail Saloon

Fly bridge - Dining area

Refit 2024 - Inside Dinning Area

Refit 2024 - Fire Place and Saloon

Master cabin

Master cabin bathroom

Guest cabin

Fly bridge Jacuzzi

Aerial photo of the bathing area

Bathing area

Life jackets

Bathing area - relaxing

Large inflatable

Fly bridge - Enjoying a movie

Lev Toger (Captain)

Triantafillos Pnevmatikos (Chef)

Sample dish on board of Samara

• From €65,000 / week
• Motor Yacht + 4 crew
• Summer Port: Cruising Areas Summer: Greece Summer Port: Athens Marina Sea Winter: Greece Prefered Pickup: Athens Marina Zea Other Pickup: Upon Request ">Athens Marina Sea
• Winter: Cruising Areas Summer: Greece Summer Port: Athens Marina Sea Winter: Greece Prefered Pickup: Athens Marina Zea Other Pickup: Upon Request ">Greece
• Length: 80 ft / 24.4 meters 80 feet 24.4 meters
• Guests: 8 in 4 cabins
• Built: 2016 / Refit: 2020/2024
• Offers Rendezvous Scuba Diving only

Plus Expenses

Samara Description

A rare find of luxury yacht combined with sporty/ adventurous qualities which stands out head and shoulders above other monohull and catamaran hull yachts of this size. From bow to stern, guests cannot truly imagine the comfort, quality and spaciousness of SAMARA until stepping aboard. Named after the ´winged seed of the Sycamore tree´, this yacht was built to glide effortlessly, efficiently and steadily over long distances, in shallow waters thanks to a minimum draft. Packed with innovative features such as solar power technology and cork decks while also catering to the most adventurous or laid back cruisers, every type of guest will appreciate what this yacht has to offer. The volume is remarkable with 4000 square feet aboard - beyond that of larger monohulls and attributed to her 31’ beam versus the typical 20’. Stepping aboard the AFT DECK, there is an extra large al fresco dining area, well sheltered (plus eisinglass enclosure optional) alongside a full barbeque grill to starboard. Enjoy a cocktail or coffee at the full bar to starboard side or just appreciate the view. Entering the MAIN SALON brings everything to life with open plan galley and bar stools to starboard and the welcoming lounge area to port. Concealed overhead is the 55´ TV transforming this area for movie night or morning news while at the galley bar. There is easy access to a bayhead on this level just forward of the lounge as well. Make your way amidship forward into a cozy sunken, second lounge situated a few steps down from the main salon. A romantic fire place feature here on a blustery evening makes this lounge very inviting. A true sanctuary on the main deck is the forward facing MASTER suite with open plan from port to starboard bringing in the gorgeous views and natural light of outdoors, inside as well. To port is the ensuite Master bathroom with double sinks featuring designer waterfall taps, private toilet and stall shower. To starboard is a walk-in wardrobe with drawers and hanging closet. Storage is ample throughout. A private glass door leads forward onto the Jacuzzi deck serving as a full Owner´s deck and offers privacy with the subtle wrap around of superstructure design on both sides. Large petal-shaped loungers invited guests to relax in the sun or curl up and read a book in privacy. Forward below deck in the port and starboard hulls guests will find the comfort of two Queen staterooms, each en suite with spacious showers, toilet and ample storage in two closets and cabinetry. Aft in the starboard hull 2-3 more guests can find accommodation in a double bed with pullman bunk, also with en suite facilities. Moving up to the SUN DECK during the day is akin to stepping into a private garden in an exclusive villa. Two custom cabanas easily offer comfort to 3 adults each with shade as desired overhead and around. If more sun is preferred, two chaise and two comfortable bean bags can be positioned where guests wish. A ‘jump seat’ sunpad situated in front of the helm on this level also provides the best view from above. The grassy texture covering this deck is soothing and non-slip underfoot while also giving an ‘island’ feel. As the moon rises, this deck transforms to a whole new experience of its own. Whether experiencing movie night with the oversized cinema in position or an elegant dinner under the stars, this is the most favored space aboard by most. Not to forget the area where the most action occurs, the SWIM PLATFORM. A hydraulic center stage secures the wave runners when under way and once lowered, this level is the easy access deck for choice of SCUBA DIVING, water toys, boarding the tender and swim entry. Transform this area with chairs and inflatable cushions for the perfect BEACH CLUB. Each hull also offers a set of steps and a swim ladder for water access.

Cruising Area of Samara

Accommodations, specification, water sports, scuba diving, entertainment, green initiatives, samara crew profile.

Captain: Lev Toger Ahoy! Meet Captain Lev, the salty sea dog with a decade of seafaring tales under his belt, making Greece his home port since 2020. A master navigator since 2012, he crafts custom voyages that´ll make your dreams dance on the waves. With a passion for water sports and diving that´s more contagious than a case of the giggles, he´ll have you plunging into adventure faster than you can say ´anchors aweigh!´ Yet, don´t mistake his easygoing demeanor for a lack of grit; when it´s time to work, he´s all hands on deck. So hoist the sails and prepare to embark on the good ship Samara, as Captain Lev unveils the Mediterranean´s hidden treasures, promising an unforgettable journey tailored to your every whim. From thrilling escapades to tranquil sun-soaked afternoons, he´s your ultimate guide to a maritime escapade like no other. Aye, adventure beckons!

Samara Calendar

Samara reservations & port locations, samara rates / week, low price: €65,000, high price: €70,000, additional rate details, samara guest reviews, we currently don't have any reviews for samara., samara sample menu.

Different types of eggs

Fresh juices, smoothies, milk (different types)

Acai Smoothie bowls, homemade granola

Teas: Blend of herbs

Homemade donuts/French crepes

Homemade jams, tahini and other spreads

Peach gazpacho

Beef tartar, capers, quill´s yolk

Mussels, homemade challah bread, lemon grass

Eggplant carpaccio, roasted almonds, labaneh & pesto

Ceviche - fresh fish, mango, veggies, endive leaves & homemade seeds crackers

Poke bowl- fresh salmon, coconut rice, wakame, veggies & mango

Caribbean chicken salad, homemade buggets

Nicosia salad- fresh tuna, eggs, green beans

Beef Burekas - filo pastry, spices

Homemade lemon butter pappardelle, seared seabass

Rosemary butter rack of lamb, charred corn, green veggies, mint chimichurri

Shrimp Thai curry, young green vegetables

Sweet potatoes gnocchi, sage brown butter, garlic, fillet mignon

Pork, Hasselback potatoes, cauliflower puree, black garlic

Chocolate pistachio ganache tart

Roasted peaches, rose water cream, lime & fresh zaatar

Homemade chorus

Chocolate cardamom dip

Apples & berries crumble with homemade vanilla ice cream

Peanut butter mousse

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Tapio Lehtinen in his survival suit. All of the skippers underwent sea survival training before the race start. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR2022.

GGR lifesaving regulations: Asteria sinking, lessons to be learnt

Many people talk about the eye watering effort GGR entrants make to meet the tough safety and qualifying requirements of this gruelling mind game called the Golden Globe. When all the boxes are ticked, they finally receive a "green card" in Les Sables d'Olonne just before the start. These unique GGR safety regulations have played an important part in saving Tapio Lehtinen following the sinking of his yacht in the Southern Ocean and he appreciates it! Two other entrants have rigging issues after 80 days at sea and Kirsten sets a new 219-mile day record! But the big question is...where are the Roaring Forties?

Golden Globe entrant Tapio Lehtinen (FIN) rescued from his life raft last week is currently enjoying the hospitality of his rescuers Capt. Naveen Kumar Mehrotra and his crew on the M.V.Darya Gayatri bound for Rizhao, China. He has no money, no passport, and no glasses, but is in good health and good spirits. He has now shared information with the organisers regarding this incident and rescue. He does not know for sure what caused the failure and sinking of his yacht "Asteria" and is still coming to terms with the loss of his beloved yacht.

"The accident was a devastating surprise, I had 100% confidence in Asteria being fit for the fight. She performed beautifully and I was very happy and proud of her. After a total rebuild four years ago for the 2018 GGR and being fitted out and inspected again this year, being flooded up to deck level in five minutes and sinking twenty minutes later in beautiful summer conditions is beyond my comprehension.

But the rock-solid professionalism of Don McIntyre in coordinating the rescue operation together with MRCCs in Cape Town, Kirsten Neuschäfer, Abhilash Tomy and m/v Darya Gayatri captain Naveen Kumar Mehrotra came as no surprise to me. On the contrary, already before the start of the race, at a safety briefing in Les Sables d'Olonne, I told my competitors that if we'd get into trouble, we would be in the best of hands. I never imagined that I would be the one.

Thank you, Don, – getting into the raft in a rush without my grab bags of food, medicine and water, I knew that it wouldn't be a long stay". Said by Tapio Lehtinen When Tapio woke to a loud bang, he stepped into knee deep water with more flooding like a river from the engine compartment. With no time to think, he prepared the Plastimo "special edition" GGR Life raft in the cockpit and donned his dry survival suit, grabbing the small GGR Communications emergency grab bag on the way out. With the raft inflated beside the boat, the securing line he had re-set with a slip knot, unfortunately let go! It began drifting away... He could not go below for the main grab bag, as water was above waist height and the decks were awash, so he jumped for the raft now 3 metres from the boat. He had been unable to reach his EPIRB inside the boat, which later automatically water activated, sending the first DISTRESS alert. But it went down with the yacht 20 minutes later taking his two other emergency beacons with it.

Fortunately, GGR safety regulations require a PLB Distress beacon and waterproof VHF handheld radio with GPS to be packed inside the raft. In the shock of the moment, he forgot the PLB was in the raft. He found it nearly two hours later and turned it on. At that point it was his only distress beacon. Inside the GGR comms grab bag his spare satellite phone was damaged while boarding the raft. (His main sat phone stored at the chart table went down with the ship). Also, inside was the backup waterproof YB3 satellite tracker and texting unit.

GGR control on learning of the EPIRB Distress and noting ASTERIA's onboard Tracker was no longer transmitting, assumed the boat had sunk and that Tapio was probably in the raft. GGR remotely activated the backup YB3 and noted it had been powered on by Tapio. This was exciting news. A message was sent "Are You OK"?

Picture on the left: Tapio credits the GGR safety regulations for his survival in the Southern Indian Ocean.

Tapio responded shortly after that he was in the raft, all well and Asteria had sunk! This then gave a second position of the raft that was linked to the GGR 24hr online tracking page for all to see. Using the same YB3 unit, Tapio was able to send and receive short messages from the raft, a great comfort for him as a survivor, his family and all his followers around the world. His rescue was a success.

"I know from experience over the past 30 years that when all goes wrong you may not get your grab bag, so what's in the raft is all you may have. I always pack a Distress beacon in my rafts and now a VHF/GPS, so I made it mandatory for GGR too. I also lost a good friend deep in the Southern Ocean in the 1986 BOC challenge when his 48hr EPIRB battery ran out before the ship arrived. We now insist on the YB3 unit in the GGR comms grab bag which tracks every 15 minutes for months, including two-way texting. Tapio was happy to have both". Don McIntyre This incident will be the subject of a full GGR report in the weeks ahead, which will be published so all can learn from the experience.

Time Compensation following "Asteria" sinking:

It is a long-held tradition of the sea, that if a mariner is in Distress and declares a "Mayday", all other mariners will use their best endeavours to immediately assist if they are safely able to do so. Such was the case for Abhilash Tomy (IND)on Bayanat and Kirsten Neuschäfer (RSA)on Minnehaha when asked by GGR control to assist in the rescue of fellow GGR entrant Tapio Lehtinen on ASTERIA. Both altered courses immediately and stopped racing on receiving the request. The rescue was successful.

To calculate time compensation for both sailors all the facts affecting both sailors were considered, focusing on the primary impacts of:

1. Time away from the course

2. Changing and new weather systems on resuming the course.

3. Position at the start and finish of their diversion.

Primary Data.

Abhilash acknowledged the rescue message at 0930 UTC and was subsequently released at 13:50 UTC, (4:20 hours). He confirmed he resumed racing at 1400 UTC (total 4:30 hours) and he also stayed on a higher course (80° approx.) for the duration of the rescue in case he may be needed. Engine: did not use the engine.

Distance 27.5 nm @ 50°, approx. Lateral 23 nm/vertical 15 nm

Kirsten acknowledged the rescue message at 1303UTC and called to confirm transfer to vessel at 0745+1 but stayed on scene until 1000 UTC before proceeding under reduced sails: total 22 hours. Engine hours: 2 beginning, 2 middle, 3 at the end for a total of 7 hours.

5 hrs  1.8K rpm=3.5 l/h= 15,5lt and 2 hrs  2.4K rpm=5 l/h = 10lt. Total 25.5 litres

Distance 100 miles  38°approx, lateral 57 nm/vertical 83 nm

The following time compensation has been determined. Kirsten Neuschäfer 35 hours + 30 litres of fuel. Abhilash Tomy 12hrs.

Abhilash and Kirsten both commented that it took some time to let the adrenaline go, and get back into racing mode. Abhilash remained on a more northerly course than normal for the duration of the rescue, asking to be updated on progress and Kirsten had steered Minnehaha all night and manoeuvred at close quarters to the vessel for Tapio's transfer.

Latest news from Kirsten in her regular weekly safety call.

Rig failures 80 days out of Les Sables d'Olonne

Elliott Smith (USA) turned around on the 22nd of November, shortly after going through the Cape Town Gate, for a bowsprit failure. Fellow entrant Jeremy Bagshaw (RSA) who lives in Simon's Town suggested he moor on the Simon's Town's mooring buoy in False Bay, well sheltered from the strong forecast South Westerlies. Local sailors guided him in at dusk.

His bowsprit was broken on one side and bent on the other, with the bobstay being slightly bent in the process. The Notice of Race allows Entrants receive onsite technical advice but no physical assistance. Elliott welcomed the advice from local sailors and riggers on repairing and strengthening his bowsprit. Following three hectic days and after reviewing pictures, videos and listening to Elliott's descriptions, the GGR organisers approved the repairs and Elliott set sail once again bound for Hobart.

"We were able to monitor and assess Elliott's bowsprit repairs thanks to photos and video supplied by Simon McDonnel from FBYC right up to sea trials. While not perfect, our opinion is that managed correctly by the skipper, the repaired bowsprit is not unsafe. He has addressed the compression issues and added extra security to stop it folding up again. The inner forestay supports the mast well and combined with running backstays secures the mast without consideration of the forestay when sailing with the staysail and reefed main. The furling genoa is being swapped for a smaller jib and the entire Southern Ocean legs can be sailed under staysail alone." Don McIntyre, GGR Founder and Chairman

In 1968 Bernard Moitessier damaged his Bowsprit and spent a few days in the same area effecting repairs before continuing on. Elliott made no landing and received no physical support, so remains in the GGR rankings. He is now on his way to Hobart. Shortly after, Arnaud Gaist (FRA) called the GGR Control to explain mast and rigging issues, and that he can no longer sail to windward before it's solved. He described a bending mast last week and that he worked on rig tensions to re-establish symmetry.

In his last call on Friday morning, he advised that his mast base was moving, that a lower shroud needed tightening and that the bobstay fitting supporting the Bowsprit came under stress, indicating further issues in the symmetry and compression of the whole rig.

He is still 1000 miles away from Cape Town, but North of the usual High-Pressure systems, therefore sailing upwind, facing the swell, which is putting extra pressure on the rig. He is struggling to make Cape Town and now has little chance of making the Hobart Gate which closes on January 31st 2023. He is currently sailing downwind and assessing options for repair at sea, or whether he should follow predominately easterly winds for repairs in Brazil.

Meanwhile, Guy Waites (UK), the last victim of hull invasion, has given-up on trying to scrape the barnacles at sea as it is too dangerous with little effect. He explained in his last call that he made up his mind and will have to slip the boat in Cape Town.

Unusual Southern Indian Ocean conditions for the fleet so far.

Simon Curwen (UK), Kirsten Neuschäfer (RSA), Abhilash Tomy (IND) and Michael Guggenberger (AUT) have all improved their personal best over a 24-hours distance last week, with Kirsten obliterating the record with 219 miles in a day, but it took quite a while to get there. In fact, the Atlantic conditions were not the ones the fleet expected, and the same applies to the Southern Indian Ocean.

This year, an unusual Antartic polar vortex is contributing to a weather anomaly which is pushing the usual strong westerly winds of the Roaring Forties further south than usual. Some high-pressure systems are also lower than normal, pushing the roaring forties toward the furious fifties.

This may slow progress toward Hobart as the fleet experiences more of a mixed bag of wind directions and strengths as Simon Curwen explains. The good news is that some of the intense low-pressure storms may also stay below their route to Hobart and later Cape Horn. Only time will tell, but sailing along the 40th parallel of latitude looks like a different ride this year.

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