Helsingin Työväen Pursiseura ry
Helsingin Työväen Pursiseura (HTPS) is a traditional sailing club in Helsinki, founded in 1925 to promote seamanship and water sports among its members. The home harbour is on Pyysaari island in Laajasalo, with about one hundred summer berths, winter storage places, pontoons, a boatyard, a club restaurant and a wood-fired sauna. The club also runs the island base Pursiniemi in the Porvoo archipelago with jetties, sauna and cabin. The programme ranges from junior training in Optimist, Europe and ILCA through adult sailing courses to traditional races such as Emäsalon lenkki since 1949 and weekly Tuesday racing on Kruunuvuorenselkä. For the centenary the award-winning anniversary book “Vapaisiin tuuliin” was published; voluntary community work still shapes club culture today.
History
Helsingin Työväen Pursiseura (HTPS) was founded in 1925 to promote members’ seamanship and water sports and to share knowledge about building, using and maintaining boats. Since 1949 the traditional spring race Emäsalon lenkki has been sailed; weekly Tuesday races on Kruunuvuorenselkä and Krunan kippo for wooden Folkboats are fixed fixtures. Voluntary work (talkoot) has always been part of club culture: the multipurpose building on Pyysaari and the Pursiniemi island base in the Porvoo archipelago were built largely by members. For the 100th anniversary in 2025 the history book “Vapaisiin tuuliin, Helsingin Työväen Pursiseura 1925–2025” by Pirkka Leino with the club editorial team won the Helge Nygren Award as Sports Book of the Year 2025. Today HTPS runs Pyysaari with about one hundred summer berths and over ninety winter storage places plus Pursiniemi; training, junior sailing and regattas define club life.
Information
Facilities
Home harbour Pyysaari with about 100 berths, winter yard, mast crane, club sauna, restaurant Palma de Pyy; island base Pursiniemi with jetties, sauna, cabin and cooking shelter
Activities
Junior and adult sailing courses, weekly races, Emäsalon lenkki, Folkboat racing, voluntary work, island camps and club restaurant
Youth section
Active youth section with weekly training in Optimist, Europe and ILCA plus children’s sailing schools and island camps at Pursiniemi
Parking
Yes, parking at Henrik Borgströmin tie 13
Guest berths
Yes, about 15 guest berths, 15 €/night
Boating license training
Available: 1
Janne Louhikari
Course-dependent (skipper course from about 275 Euro)