Historic Moment: First All-Female Crew to Compete in 8mR Class World Cup in Turku

In August 2025, Turku will witness sailing history as an all-female crew competes for the first time ever in the classic sailing 8 Metre Class World Cup. The Finnish Sailingl8dies team is breaking through in this traditional sailing class that has historically been male-dominated.

Norwegian sailor Tom Knutsen had to withdraw from the Turku World Cup due to personal reasons, creating a unique opportunity to loan his beautiful yacht If. With active support from the Finnish 8mR Association, a highly skilled all-female crew was assembled in just over a week, signing an agreement to loan the boat, which has been brought to Finland specifically for them.

The team's official skipper is 27-year-old Selma Valjus, who has experience and success in dinghies, ORC class, and classic yachts. The project is co-led by 26-year-old Martta Soini, who has a similar sailing background. The timeline for assembling the team was unprecedentedly tight, but the standards remained high – after all, this is a World Cup.

"It was quite a struggle to secure funding and assemble the team in a week," says Martta Soini. "We had a five-person crew together in a few days, but then came a moment of despair. How do we find two more members with sufficient classic yacht experience when we barely have time to train together?"

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The team was eventually assembled and includes:

• Selma Valjus (27) - Skipper, championship medals in dinghies and ORC, national success in classic yachts
• Martta Soini (26) - Project co-leader, championship medals in dinghies and ORC, national success in Int5m class
• Viivi Moisio (22) - Has sailed 6mR class and participated in OGR round-the-world sailing
• Kaisla Jacoby (22) - 6mR and OGR background
• Niki Blässar (30) - Olympic projects and championship medals
• Emma Seppä (28) - Multiple 6mR class national championship medals
• Anna Aulango (22) - Extremely experienced classic yacht crew, owns Int5m restoration project

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Skipper Selma Valjus is excited about what's ahead: "I'm really looking forward to this. It's amazing to get to show what we're capable of. I believe we'll come into the 8mR class with a bang!"

What's special about the team is the members' youth combined with solid sailing experience. Every team member falls within the 22-30 age range, and together they have more race starts than most sailors twice their age. The team faces an intensive preparation period to learn the techniques needed for 8mR racing, but motivation is high.

The 8mR sailing class is an integral part of sailing history, known for its timeless design and Olympic heritage. These over 15-meter wooden-hulled sailing yachts, with sail areas exceeding 100 square meters, are simultaneously classically beautiful and athletically challenging. The Sailingl8dies team now gets the opportunity to show that this classic sailing class belongs equally to women.

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"This class – and sailing in general – is still very male-dominated. We've done a lot of work to break this myth in all sailing classes. This is an important step for us," says Martta Soini.

"The goal isn't just to get more all-female crews, but to achieve a more equality overall. To show that we are all sailors," adds Selma Valjus.

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The 8 Metre Class World Cup will be held in Turku August 2-9, 2025, with the event center at Ruissalo Boatyard. 21 boat crews from eight different countries have registered for the event. The competition is organized by Airisto Segelsällskap i Åbo (ASS), which is also celebrating its 160th anniversary as one of Finland's oldest yacht clubs.

In collaboration with ASS, the City of Turku, and main partners, the event will become an unforgettable maritime celebration that highlights the timeless appeal of the 8mR class, the significance of sailing culture, and the power of community.

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Media contact
Heidi Öller
+358 (0)40 532 7906 / +46 (0)73 067 6259

heidi.oller@gmail.com

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