SOUTHAMPTON superyacht ICAP Leopard is attempting to break another sailing record – at the hands of a team from Finland.
The Finnish sailors chartered the 100ft Ocean Village-based yacht for the ARC, a 3,000-mile race across the Atlantic from the Canaries to St Lucia.
The 20-strong crew are aiming to break the race record of 10 days, 21 hours, 25 minutes and 10 seconds.
In true Finnish style, Samuli Leisti, the man behind the record attempt, dreamed up the idea while taking a sauna.
He then signed up offshore hero Kenneth Thelen to help put together a crew capable of smashing the course record.
“The main goal is to beat the ARC Course Record,” explains Thelen. “But we do have some on board who have hardly set foot on a boat before and none of the other Finnish guys have sailed across the Atlantic.”
“We will keep our eye on the ultimate goal but our number one priority will be for the safety of the crew and boat.
“Our aim is to finish the race and hopefully to break the record. If we achieve our goal and the record in the process, then great.”
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