Joel Harkimo’s next challenge starts in February.
Sailor and entrepreneur Joel Harkimo is aiming for the Golden Globe Race sailing competition starting in the fall of 2026. The well-known competition sails around the world for a year.
Training for the competition will soon get harder laps. Harkimo revealed at his press conference on January 2 that he will sail across the Atlantic in February – alone.
Joel Harkimo will soon go on a sailing trip. ATTE KAJOVA
From Portugal to the Caribbean
Harkimo has already sailed across the Atlantic three times before. He is remembered, for example, by the TV5 channel across the atlantic – program that was filmed a few years ago. In the program, Harkimo sailed with, among others, Martina Aitolehti, Jere karalahti and Satu Silvo from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean.
Now Harkimon has to manage on his own for the first time.
– If I said it wouldn’t be exciting, I’d be talking nonsense. Of course it’s exciting, Harkimo laughs.
The trip from Cascais, Portugal to Antigua takes about 35 days. The length of the journey is approximately 7400 kilometers.
The weather conditions will be challenging at both ends, which requires good equipment.
– There is nothing super warm in Portugal. It’s maybe 16 or 17 degrees there during the day. It is around 10 degrees at night. At sea, especially when it’s windy, it’s quite cold at first, Harkimo says.
When the route goes closer to the Caribbean and Cape Verde, the climate starts to warm up strongly.
– It can be 40 degrees on the boat. A bit of both worlds – you’ll get a bit cold and a bit hot and sweaty too. At least as the trip approaches, the climate warms up, says Harkimo.
Harkimo estimates that the biggest challenge in Atlanti will be finding routines. During a good month, you have to take care of, for example, a good sleep rhythm.
– Sailing that long alone is a new thing for me. There is really a lot to learn and see there. I think the first days are exciting and lonely, but then it starts to roll, Harkimo reflects.
Joel Harkimo’s route goes across the Atlantic. ATTE KAJOVA
Harkimo has been building its competition boat for a long time. The project will be completed this week, after which the boat will be packed and transported to Spain in mid-January. Harkimo sails a boat from Spain to Portugal with a team, after which he sets off on his own. The trip across the Atlantic takes place in early February.
Golden Globe Race
The Golden Globe Race is already strongly on Harkimo’s mind. One of the special features of the competition is that the contestants are not allowed to have contact with the outside world. The rule is the same for everyone. According to Harkimo, the competitors fortunately communicate with each other to some extent, so you don’t have to spend the year completely alone.
In any case, the competition requires strong mental preparation, which has been helped by Harkimo’s father Hjallis Harkimo. He participated in the Golden Globe Race in the late 1980s.
– We have exchanged a lot of ideas and he has given good advice. He is not officially involved in this project, but he is supporting and helping, Harkimo clarifies.
Harkimo has listened to his father’s stories since he was a little boy. The idea of participating in the competition has been in my mind for a long time.
– My father has the same problem as me, i.e. severe dyslexia, so he probably couldn’t read any story books. He only told sailing stories. I’ve heard stories of how he used pliers to pull out a tooth because of severe toothache, how a boat once capsized during a race, and how he saw icebergs. They are such sweet stories that they stuck in my mind, says Harkimo.