Global Solo Challenge: Sailing Solo with Ari Känsäkoski's Class40 Fuji
by Dave Proctor 8 Jul 2023 14:07 BST
Fuji - Class40 © Ari Känsäkoski
Finnish Skipper Ari Känsäkoski, has a distinct advantage over many sailors who have entered the Global Solo Challenge (GSC), in that he knows his yacht inside out.
He has a detailed knowledge of his boat, systems, and equipment which is essential for a successful long distance solo navigation.
Ari is a Skipper for the Finnish Ocean Racing Association. An organisation that provides offshore sail training and the opportunity for its members to sail and race a competitive Class 40 yacht.
The training and racing are invariably under the experienced eye of Ari, and although the participants have access to another yacht, Ari normally skippers his yacht 'Fuji'.
He has owned this Owen Clarke-designed boat since 2014 and she has been sailing regularly under the auspices of this Association ever since.
Apart from the extensive time spent training crews, Ari has considerable experience sailing 'Fuji' competitively. Her racing credentials are quite impressive. Since 2015, under Ari's Captaincy, she has competed in three editions of the Rolex Fastnet race, two SORC Round the Rock solo races (original Fastnet course), two editions of the Malouine Lamotte race, The Armen Race, two CIC Normandy Races, the Seventar Round Britain and Ireland Race, three Volvo Round Ireland Races, the Les Sables-Horta-Les Sables race and several others.
'Fuji' was built for English sailor Alex Bennett by Composite Creations, with an eye on his intention to compete in a round-the-world race, and was therefore built to meet Category Zero Ocean racing regulations published by World Sailing. Category Zero is the strictest set of regulations aimed at sailors who can expect to spend extended periods of time in remote areas without expectation of a fast rescue, in cold air and sea conditions. The extensive World Sailing Rules, which have been adapted for the GSC, ensure that the yachts that will be sailing in these hostile environments meet a minimum of safety standards.
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