Last updated: 13.10.2025
The premier yachting event in Finland in 2025 was the 8mR World Cup in Turku. The World Cup is a week-long event where 8 meter yachts from all over the world compete for the title(s) and the 2025 location was on the waters of Airisto, just south of Turku. This post is an introduction to and backgrounder on 8 meter yachts and their preparations for the 2025 World Cup. You can also check the results and relive the races.
8mR World Cup in Turku 2025, August 2-9, 2025
8mR World Cup Race info
Experience and replay the 8mr World Cup 2025 races
You can follow and real-time or later replay all races using the race tracker. Here are the links to each day:
Day 1, Monday (2 races) – Tracker for day 1 races
Day 2, Tuesday (cancelled due to strong winds)
Day 3, Wednesday (cancelled due to strong winds)
Day 4, Thursday (3 races) – Tracker for day 4 races, and video here; youtube.com/watch?v=KrKI4ArVYoM
Day 5, Friday (2 races)- Tracker for day 5 races, and video here: youtube.com/watch?v=5acX-3LhF_w
Day 6, Saturday (one race) – Tracker forday 6 races, and video here: youtube.com/watch?v=TSWn09t0Y1E
Overall results here: Turku World Cup 2025 results
8mR World Cup information for participants: Airisto wind conditions
I’ll add race info for the World Cup races here. First video is about the wind conditions that you can expect in the beginning of August. The race is help on Airisto, an open water area south of Turku. In Finnish Airisto is called a “selkä” and in Swedish “fjärd”. Neither word has a very good translation into English. They mean a “slightly more open area between islands” so the normally given translation “bay” or “waterfront” really do not mean the same. In any case, the video introduces Airisto and gives an overview of past wind data.
8mr yacht introduction, background and race preparations
The 8mR yacht – what is it?
The 8 meter yacht or should I say the 8mr class is one of the so-called meter classes of yachts. Other well-know meter classes are for instance the 6 meter (6mR) and 12 meter (12mR) classes. All the meter classes are construction classes, which means that yacht designers are free to design the yachts as long as they follow the class rules.
The 8 meter class is governed by the International Eight Meter Association (IEMA). Therefore it is more than appropriate that the current secretary of the IEMA (read: humble term for the person who does most of the work) Murdoch McKillop and the chair of the IEMA Technical Committee (overseeing the rule) John Lammerts van Bueren introduce you to the 8mrclass and the 8mR World Cup.
History of 8mR yachts in Finland
The 2025 8mR Worlds regatta center is the Ruissalo Shipyard, formerly the very famous Finnish boat yard Åbo Båtvarf. For instance the first Finnish “second rule” 8 meter yacht Naja was built at Åbo Båtvarf. So with this historic setting for the 2025 Would Cup, it feels appropriate to take a look back in time at the development of the 8mR class in Finland. Our guide back in time is the nautical historian Lauri Kaira, also an avid 8mR sailor.
Winning the 8mR World Cup
The 8mR Worlds is a very prestigious competition and all boats and crews that enter would definitely want to step up on the podium at the end of the regatta. But what does it really take to win in the 8mR class? No one in Finland knows more about winning the World Cup than Harri Roschier, skipper and owner of the 8 meter yacht Luna. So let Harri tell you about his recipe for winning the cup!
Yachts and crews preparing for the 8mR World Cup
With Harri’s recommendations in mind, lets take a look at how 8mR yachts are being prepared for the World Cup. It is of course essential that the yacht conforms to the 8 meter rules. At the Finnish boat yard Red Sky Yachts, high tech such as laser scanning and 3d modelling is used to ensure that the yacht indeed follows the rule.
Following the rule is not enough to win, the boat also needs to be in top-notch condition. In Finland it is quite common that the owners and the sailing crew also do a big part of the yacht maintenance. Let’s check out what is on the spring maintenance to-do list for the 8 meter yacht Windy!
The boat (as in hull) is important, but the driving force of the 8mR sailboats are the sails. So our next stop is at the leading Finnish sailmaker, WB Sails. Here WB Sails founder and CEO Mikko Brummer guides us on how 8mr yacht sails (and modern sails in general) are designed and made.
Boats and sails do not win races, races are won by competent and motivated crews. So next, let’s meet skipper Ebba Stelander and team captain Bea Stelander of the Finnish 8mR yacht Ilderim. Ebba and Bea guide what is probably the youngest 8 meter crew in Finland. How do they and their team mates prepare for the World Cup?
Sponsoring the 8mR World Cup
Events such as the 8mR World Cup rely on a lot of voluntary work but they also need sponsors. The Finnish powerboat company Saxdor is a perhaps a bit surprising main sponsor of the event. In this video, Saxdor’s CEO Erna Rusi talks about why Saxdor has signed up as a sponsor and gives general hints as to what companies are looking for when sponsoring.