Classic Yacht Symposium 2027

SPEAKERS

Wood and Ice – Designing and building a wooden boat and sailing her through the Northwest Passage.

Will Stirling began training to be a boatbuilder aged 21; it is a long course.
He set up and runs Stirling and Son, a traditional shipyard specialising in wooden boat restoration up to 200T, operating from the historic No. 1 Covered Slipway in Plymouth, UK.
He has an MA in maritime history, is a Lloyds Maritime Academy qualified surveyor with specialism in wooden boats and a member of the National Historic Ships Council of Experts.
For repeated high latitude meanderings, he was awarded the Royal Cruising Club’s Tilman Medal. Will spends much of his time in the Arctic each summer sailing Integrity.

John will co-chair the event

John has been a regular speaker at the Symposium since the beginning in 2011 and, following the passing of its founder, Esko Kilpi, has served as co-chair since 2020.

He is a former president of the International 8-Metre Association, a multiple world champion, an afterguard member on the schooners Eleonora and Atlantic, and a race crew member on the 23mR Cambria. John is deeply involved in all aspects of international classic yachting. He is also a leading sawmiller, specializing in top-grade Sitka spruce for spars in the classic yachting world.

Knud Reimers – The Most Prolific Designer in the Nordics


Bengt was originally supposed to become a lawyer, but when he completed his Laws degree in 1972, he was already hooked on the world of sailing. He sailed offshore extensively and with great success. By chance, he started working for the magazine Segling in 1982, a position he stayed in for 23 years. In 2006, his biography of Pelle Petterson was published, followed the next year by a book about Peter Norlin’s boats. Hhis third book was Pure Beauties – Classic Swedish Sailboats (Rena Skönheter – Klassiska svenska segelbåtar), Bengt has spent the many years documenting Sweden’s heritage of historic wooden boats. He is the editor of the book Scandinavian design under sail (2026) and has been a part of the team of the upcoming extensive Knud Reimers Biography.

Martina makes waves

We dare say that Martina is one of the world’s most exciting and innovative marine
photographers. Her work breaks with the traditional yacht portraits, she finds new
viewpoints, pushes limits, finds the hidden light and adds magic to the moment. She
displays enviable technical excellence under the most difficult circumstances and
with her signature work merges art with science.
Martina (1986) has her home in Milan, Italy and Cyprus. After graduating in
philosophy, she got her master’s degree in visual art. The 2012 Moth World
Championship at Garda kickstarted her marine photography career and an exciting
journey around the world to photograph the pinnacle of dinghy and yacht races.
Martina is a three-time winner of the prestigious Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image as
well as the winner of the Pantaenius Yacht Racing Image 2025.
As photographer, sailor, globe trotter and storyteller she pushes boundaries. Her
work is a result of the way she tests her limits. We are proud to have her with us in
Helsinki to present a selection of her images and stories.

The Restoration of Doris

Languishing in a boat yard in New London CT for 30 years, DORIS, the largest all-wood sailing vessel built by Herreshoff Manufacturing Co in 1905, was scheduled to be scrapped at the end of August 2013.  Given a one-year lease on life by the generous collaboration of a good friend and Snediker Yacht Restoration of Pawcatuck, a search for a new owner was spearheaded. Now, thanks to an enthusiastic client, DORIS has been saved.

The complete restoration of DORIS will be the largest ever undertaken by Snediker Yacht Restoration. She will be returned to her original specifications, featuring the latest information and pictures, in addition, will share her history as its discovered through past owners and maritime archives..

The Yard Watch


Mathieu Almekinders grew up sailing Dutch flat-bottomed yachts and learned wooden
boatbuilding and restoration through his father’s sailing school. After studying naval
architecture and working at local boatyards, he joined Oceanco as a Project Manager
Design, contributing to projects including Koru, the 125-metre sailing yacht designed
by Dykstra.
Mathieu continues to race aboard the 1928 William Fife-designed Cambria and the
Int. 8-Metre Falcon, having previously sailed on the J-Class Rainbow and a string of
modern offshore race boats. He has a particular interest in Universal and
International Rule yachts of the 1920s and 1930s, combining his professional
background in naval architecture with a personal appreciation for classic yacht design
and sailing.
In 2020, he co-founded OLIN Yacht Design with his business partner Lars Nobel.
This studio works on yacht design and naval architecture. One of their current
projects is the recreation of Ingomar, the 50 meter long 1903 racing schooner
designed by Nathanael G. Herreshoff. Renowned for her elegant lines and racing
history, Ingomar brings together interests in traditional yacht design, craftsmanship,
and the practical challenges of recreating a classic yacht.

Samppa will be the co-chair of the event

Samppa Vilkuna has been the Co-chair together with John since 2020. For years he used to crew the former Symposum chair’s Esko Kilpi’s Star.

Today Samppa is an avid Offshore sailor and skipper of the Lygaia (L-95), Sparkman & Stephens design #1780.4, the legendary Finnish 42 ft one-off offshore racer, was built for Pekka Herlin in 1967 by legendary Finnish boat builder Eino Antinoja. Samppa was heavily involved in Tapio Lehtinens’s Ocean Globe Race -project 2023-2024, working with the support crew.

From Classic Dinghy to Classic Keelboat

Oskari “Okki” Muhonen (b. 1997) is a world-class Finnish competitive sailor known for his exceptional versatility across Olympic classes, offshore racing, and classic yachts. He made Finnish sports history in 2024 by becoming the first-ever Finn Gold Cup (World Championship) winner from Finland, adding to his historic record as the only three-time U23 Finn Silver Cup World Champion (2017, 2019, 2020).

Muhonen’s elite skillset spans a wide range of demanding roles—including helmsman, tactician, and trimmer—across diverse sailing disciplines:

  • One-Design & Olympic Classes: Elite mastery of the Finn and 49er classes.
  • Offshore Grand Prix Racing: Professional crew member and key asset for high-profile projects like the foil-assisted Tulikettu Racing team.
  • Classic Yachts & Big Boats: Experienced tactician and helm in prestigious classic yacht regattas and international big boat circuits.
  • Team Leadership: Captain and tactician for the Finnish national team in the SSL Gold Cup (Star Sailors League).

Outside the water, the 2019 Finnish Sailor of the Year holds a World Universiade gold medal and studies Industrial Engineering and Management at Aalto University.

Reaching the Next Gen How Social Media Keeps Classic Yachts Alive

Do you want to know how classic yachting reaches the people who will carry it
forward? Then please join us and listen to Emilia Vaes. As social media manager
and on-site presenter at the Richard Mille Cup 2026, she helped the regatta reach
8.5 million people and grow its Instagram account to 31,000 followers.
Extraordinary events and extraordinary yachts have stories worth telling, and Emilia
will argue that we have the power to tell them ourselves, online. She will share what
the Richard Mille Cup learnt, how to turn a passing viewer into someone who cares,
and why reaching the next generation of owners and supporters matters for keeping
classic yachts alive and authentic.
Emilia is the founder of Social Fascination, a social media and content consultancy
for the sailing and marine industry. Working across social media, sponsorship,
partnerships and event presenting, she knows regattas from both sides of the
camera: on screen, and behind it, organising teams and coverage. Her work spans
the Richard Mille Cup, Les Voiles de Saint Tropez and offshore campaigns from the
Ocean Race Europe to Class40 and Mini 6.50 teams.

The Yard Watch

Michiel Insinger sailed on Tall ships as a teenager and as a student started racing on
“Lemsteraken”, the traditional Dutch leeboard barges. From day one, he knew racing
sailboats was his game. He has races on “small” boats like dragons for over 20 years
and big boats since forever. He has raced on famous yachts like Dorade, Eleonora,
Agneta and many more. He never wanted to make sailing his profession, but he
realizes it is not a normal hobby. As he always talks about it, “it’s a hobby terribly
gone wrong”.
He once walked up to marine photographer Franco Pace at the Fife regatta and
thanked him for making the picture of Fife 8mR Fulmar long time ago, it was hanging
on his wall when he was a teenager, it became a dream to race on an 8 ever since.
Today he races on the Fife build 8mR Falcon, the absolute sister to Fulmar.
As an IT specialist, Micheal has built the platforms for web-based data bases and of
course “Big Mike” never misses a Classic Yacht Symposium. The vibe and fun of that
community, the excitement of so many amazing restoration projects who work in
splendid isolation inspired him to finally put his skill to work for a truly worth cause;
Connecting the people behind the boats and projects and building the platform for
“The Yard Watch”!

Esteemed speakers from previous years include: Halsey Herreshoff, David Pedrick, Alex Thomson, Juan Kouyoumdjian, Oliver Berking, Heinz Ramm- Schmidt, Antti Herlin, Jussi Gullichsen, Fred Meyer, Henrik Andersin, John Lammerts van Bueren, Violetta Alvarez, Pelle Petterson, Lars Ström, Per-Göran Johansson, Donald Tofias, Sinem Kurtbay, Bobby Cyrus, Philipp Skafte-Holm, Donn Costanzo, James Patrick Howaldt, Juliane Hempel, William Collier, Evelyn Ansel, Tapio Lehtinen, Dr. Rüdiger Stihl, Charlotte Hellman, Jarkko Jämsen, Hasse Karlsson, Jukka Kaukonen, Pekka Barck, Allan Savolainen, Arto Linnervuo, Dawn Riley, Hamish Ross, Paul Spooner, Rudy Jurg, James Robinson Taylor, Adele Kotsalo, George Goulding, Robin Knox-Johnston, Marie Tabarly, Steve Tsuchiya, Dr. Claes Hultling, Barry Pickthall, Leo Goolden, Miriam Kalland, Christina Stenberg, Aaro Immonen, Paul Cayard, Peter Shipway, Johanna Bruun, Maria del Mar de Ros, Christoph Kempermann and dozens of other sailors, designers, builders and enthusiasts.

Bobby Cyrus

Bobby Cyrus

All Classics have a history and Bobby knows them all. At least in the Nordics. A boatbuilder and enthusiastic chairman of the Classic Yacht Committee of the Swedish Sailing Federation, Bobby has been involved with many major restorations in Sweden ranging from a vide array of Skerry Cruisers to the 12mR Princess Svanevit. Bobby was instrumental for repatriating the Princess to Sweden after a decade of negotiations with the previous owner. Bobby has aslo been the skipper of several renown classics such as the SK 150 Beatrice Aurore and presently the fin keeler “Ester” from 1901.

Peter Shipway

Peter Shipway

“The year 1998 highlighted the Sydney Hobart race for all the wrong reasons,” says Peter Shipway, reflecting on the tragic event. A life member of Sydney’s Cruising Yacht Club and veteran of 31 Sydney to Hobart races, Peter returned to the race in 1999 after a 16-year break. He grew up in Watsons Bay on the shores of Sydney Harbour, where his passion for sailing began. As a boy, he raced skiffs and collected sailing magazines along with old Sydney to Hobart programs. At just 18, he competed in his first Sydney to Hobart, marking the start of a lifelong connection to the race. Peter will share the history of the event from its beginnings in 1945 to the present day. He will also explore the tradition of the legendary 18‑footer dinghies, which continue to thrill spectators on Sydney Harbour.

sailingl8adies

sailingl8dies

The worlds’s first all-female 8mR team from Finland participated successfully in the Worlds 2025. The team of young, under 30 year old, female sailors took command of the famous 8mR If. The captain of the team is Selma Valjus, who has collected experience, success, and medals in dinghies, ORC, and classic yachts. She is leading the project together with Martta Soini, who shares a similar sailing background. At the helm, they’ve secured Viivi Moisio, known from 6mR boats and seasoned in global sailing. The rest of the team includes: Kaisla Jacoby, also known from 6mRs and the OGR (Ocean Globe Race), Niki Blässar, with experience from Olympic campaigns and major championship medals, Emma Seppä, a multi-time medalist in Finnish 6mR Championships, and Anna Aulanko, a highly experienced classic boat crew member.

Johanna Bruun

Johanna Bruun – Viaporin Tuoppi – the Biggest Classic Yacht Regatta in the Nordics

Johanna Bruun, has sailed her entire life, and is the commodore of the Suomenlinna Yacht Club and the producer of Viaporin Tuoppi, the largest classic regatta in the Nordics, sailed annually since 1985. She is the proud owner of Meri-Mari, a 37′ Sparkman & Stephens design from 1968. In 2023-2024, she participated in the round-the-world Ocean Globe Race aboard the Spirit of Helsinki, a Swan 651 yacht built in 1984. Professionally, Johanna is a designer and owns two companies: Studio 2B Oy and Designstudio 2B Oy. These firms specialize in interior design, brand design, art and design curation, and graphic design.


Bengt Wanselius

Bengt Wanselius

Bengt Wanselius, began photographing at age ten. From 1967 to 1985, he freelanced for major Scandinavian magazines, covering global conflict zones and nature. He later developed a passion for dance and theater photography, collaborating with directors like Bille August and Liv Ullman. In 1976, he co-founded Bildhuset, a leading Scandinavian photo agency. Bengt chaired both Swedish and Nordic Photographer’s Associations and taught at Konstfack and the University of Gothenburg. From 1980, he served as House Photographer at the Royal Dramatic Theatre, working closely with Ingmar Bergman on over 20 productions. His exhibitions include dance photography and books on Drottningholm Theatre and Cullberg Ballet. Since 1997, he’s focused on digital media and filmmaking, including collaborations with choreographer Mats Ek. His visual journey spans analog to digital, driven by endless curiosity and a love for storytelling through images.

William Collier

William Collier

Owner and CEO of G.L. Watson & Co.Ltd

“If we fail to create a culture that values yachts as art or rare cars are prized, their future is uncertain”, says William Collier, MD of G. L. Watson & Co. and owner of the Fife and Watson archives. William is the only person in the world with a PhD in Classic Yachting.