Kemin Purjehdusseura ry

History

Kemi is a traditional sea and harbour town on the northern Bay of Bothnia; sailing and boating have long been firmly rooted here. Informal sailing activity began in the late 19th century when fisherman Lalli Tallgren from Hailuoto taught locals how to sail against the wind. Around 1900 some one hundred sailboats are said to have been based in Kemi, mostly two-masted fishing boats and cutters. The founding of Kemin Purjehdusseura was discussed on the shore in summer 1905; the official founding meeting was held on 27 March 1906. With support from the Finnish Yachting Association, the founding year was finally fixed as 1905 in the mid-1950s. For a long time the island of Pikkuletto off the city was the home base, where a two-storey pavilion was completed in 1923. Lack of electricity and difficult water links to the mainland led to a move to Uleninranta in the late 1980s; the first official event there was the spring meeting on 23 March 1986. By the turn of the century Uleninranta had become a modern sailing centre in the heart of Kemi. From 1987 KePS, Kemin Työväen Pursiseura and the city organised Course Kemi several times, one of Finland’s longest races (including Mariehamn–Kemi and Uusikaupunki–Kemi). In summer 2002 Lightning European Championships were held in Kemi. The guest harbour flew the world’s northernmost Blue Flag from 1990 to 2009; in 2010 the Finnish Roope flag followed. The centenary was celebrated on 23 July 2005 at Uleninranta with the Pohjanlahti Regatta; the harbour was named Guest Harbour of the Year in 2005 and again in 2014. In 2015 the club joined the ranks of Finnish sports clubs more than 110 years old.

Boat types

Membership fee