Ari Huusela, the “super happy sailor” … 58 years old, Finnair Airbus 350 captain … finished the 2020 Vendee Globe in 25th place: 118 days and change.

He is the first Finnish skipper and first Nordic skipper to finish the race.

Ari worked for over 20 years to be able to take the start in an IMOCA 60 that he and his wife took out a personal loan to buy … and he sailed the boat un-insured. His primary sponsor, Stark, a Finnish construction company, signed on only 6 months before the start.

From the start, Ari’s objective was to finish the race with his boat (and himself) in good condition.

Objective OBTAINED!!

He routed conservatively and yet … he stayed with the back of the fleet until the doldrums on the home run up the Atlantic, when he got stuck and lost 900 plus nautical miles to Alexia Barrier, who he’d been close to for most of the race.

Still.

It is an amazing story of perseverance, dedication and daring to live one’s dream.

Ari’s story is only 1 of the 33 skippers who took the start and 25 who finished plus 2 who completed their circumnavigation after stopping for repairs, thus “hors course” (out of the race/ranking).

I followed the race, all of the skipper’s videos and blogs, the official broadcasts and videos … from the November 8 start until Ari’s finish on March 4.

For me, it was an incredible journey! I learned so much: geography, the technical elements (some!) of sailing a 60 foot racing machine around the world single handed, around the world wild life and ocean health, how the Vendee Globe Race Direction supports the skippers and monitors the race … it is truly mind boggling how much capability each skipper must have to maintain their boat and themselves.

During the race, I felt like I came to know each skipper via their video posts. I laughed and cried and cheered and prayed for all of them.

It was heartbreaking when each of 8 were forced to abandon for issues that were not able to be fixed at sea … and 5 of them were due to hitting UFO’s (Unidentified Floating Objects). I had no idea that there was so much destructive CRAP floating in the ocean.

But, back to Ari and Friday’s finish. Ari posted videos at least daily and sometimes 2 or 3 times. He was not always “super happy”, but he focused on getting there. His technical/shore team sent him off with an Advent package that had various items to be opened … a sea-faring Advent Calendar. He share them all and they brought joy to him as well as to me and all of his followers.

The race, covered by a VendeeGlobe team of French and English commentators, technical experts, Race Direction … I have no idea how many folks … but what a stellar job of making a remote sailing race, an event described as “Everest of the Seas” … available to all of us who are “at home” all over the World.

I am so very glad that all sailors are safe and home. But, I also feel a bit bereft that my new “friends” are not currently on the water. BUT… they are resting and recuperating and sharing some of that, so all is not lost :)

Meanwhile, I am re-watching the videos in my quest to learn French before 2024 … the next edition of the Vendee Globe … so… au revoir (“goodbye, until we meet again”).

Thank you Ari Huusela for sharing your grand adventure. May your post race go well!

A great article on the IMOCA site about Ari: Huusela: An Exemplary Voyage by a patient mariner