Naantalin Purjehdusseura ry
Naantalin Purjehdusseura ry (NPS) is a sailing club more than a century old, based in Naantali, Finland, and founded on 5 May 1917. The club promotes sailing, powerboating and water-safety skills and runs three bases: Lammasluoto in Naantali, Mustaluoto in Rymättylä and Halvvägsstenarna in Iniö. Lammasluoto is the hub for junior, racing and windsurfing activity and has a pier, sauna and a 2.5-tonne crane. Members include powerboaters, cruising sailors and racers; the programme covers Optimist youth schools, a 606 Sailing Center, 29er and windsurf courses, and cruising. In 2019 NPS was named Junior Club of the Year by the Finnish federation SPV.
History
Naantalin Purjehdusseura ry was founded on 5 May 1917 and is among Naantali’s oldest sports clubs. Local sailing roots reach back to the 1860s according to club history, when Finnish sailing was still emerging. The club was a pioneer in several fields: powerboat racing began in the 1920s, and junior development with Optimist dinghies was ahead of its time in the 1950s and 1960s. For the centenary, the history book “Naantali purjehtii – Naantalin Purjehdusseuran historia 1917–2017” was produced under maritime historian Lauri Kaira and the history committee led by Bettina Lumme; club archives were transferred to the Naantali Museum. The legendary archipelago boat race (Saaristolaisvenepurjehdus) was held more than thirty times until 2017, last time with Lions and Naantali guest harbour. Today NPS operates three bases – Lammasluoto, Mustaluoto and Halvvägsstenarna – with junior sailing, adult sailing, windsurfing and cruising. In 2019 SPV named NPS Junior Club of the Year; Optimist world champion Heikki Vahtera is patron of the youth section. Since 2020 windsurfing has been revived with the Windsurfer one-design; the NPS Sailing Center offers training and racing on club 606s without owning a boat.
Information
Facilities
Three bases: Lammasluoto (Naantali) with pier, a few berths, 2.5-tonne crane and shore sauna; Mustaluoto (Rymättylä); Halvvägsstenarna (Iniö). Lammasluoto also hosts the Naantali sea rescue station. Sauna with kitchen, terrace, grill and accessible WC, rentable by members and non-members.
Activities
Junior sailing (Optimist schools and camps, hobby and racing groups), adult sailing and NPS Sailing Center on 606s, 29er activity, beginner and advanced windsurf courses, cruising with island bases, regattas including 606 club championship and national events, traditional peasant/archipelago boat races.
Youth section
Active youth section (ages 8–14) in the SPV Children’s Sailing School concept: summer camps, Optimist tuition, hobby and racing groups; 2019 Junior Club of the Year; patron Heikki Vahtera.
Guest berths
A few berths for members