They call themselves Team Why Not. Olivia Lindkvist, Fia Fjelddahl, Linn Dahlström, Tova Källerfelt, Maxine Hjort, Isabelle Faith Ell and Anja Dahlberg, all aged between 21 and 26 years. Together they represent match racing, Paralympic sailing, tall ships, youth development, National Sailing League Sweden, offshore racing and some of Sweden’s strongest club environments. Now they are channeling that collective experience into one shared campaign toward Gotland Runt 2026.
Photo: CAG, edit: Madeleine Lithvall
Gotland Runt, first sailed in 1937, has grown into the world’s largest annual offshore race. Around 250 boats are expected to start outside Sandhamn on 26 June 2026. The course runs north through the outer Stockholm archipelago, past Svenska Högarna, then south on open Baltic waters to round Gotland before finishing back in Sandhamn. Most crews spend two to three days at sea.
From idea to movement
The initiative started with two friends from Gothenburg, Olivia and Tova, both with roots in match racing and sprint sailing. They wanted to sail Gotland Runt, first as a team and perhaps one day double handed. In early conversations, the idea shifted. Why not build a full female crew of sailors the same age, with the same hunger? When they began talking to others in their network, the response was immediate. The key to pull this off was not only skill, but energy. They wanted to build a team of sailors who were driven, open and ready to commit.
As the search for a boat began, another question kept surfacing. “Why are you going to do that?” The friends noticed that the question often carried a different tone when asked to young women. That lit a flame and their curiosity turned into research. Statistics from recent editions of Gotland Runt showed that women are still a clear minority on the start line. In recent years, the share of female skippers and crew has even declined.
This has to change.
Concern turned into clarity. What began as a fun project had now become a serious campaign. They decided to do more than just participate. The mission is now to influence the future of offshore sailing and contribute to stronger recruitment.
Building the team
Each sailor in Team Why Not, that has now grown from two to seven, brings a distinct background. Fia competed at the 2016 Paralympics in the 2.4mR and has taken World Championship medals in both 2.4mR and RS Venture Connect. Tova has won Match Cup Marstrand and multiple Swedish titles in Melges 24. Isabelle has raced J/70 at European and World level and sailed Gotland Runt before. Maxine helped build the Swedish Aero youth environment and has national and Nordic medals from her Optimist years. Linn combines tall ship experience on T/S Gunilla and Ingo with a professional maritime career. Olivia has pushed for greater female participation in National Sailing League Sweden and sailed Champions League finals. Anja has built her path through C55, J 70 sprint and SRS racing while coaching and running sailing schools.
For them, team building is about complementary strengths and shared responsibility. No one is a spare part. Everyone has a defined role and is expected to contribute. They spend time together beyond pure performance.
The boat they will race is a Hanse 371, a boat secured through contacts that needs maintenance, upgrades and preparations to be race ready. They offered to help with this, and the deal was done. Now it’s about building trust in small moments up to the starting line; fixing the boat, planning logistics, sharing meals, playing games.
Team Why Not believe in “show, don’t tell”. Past actions matter more than bold claims and openness is essential. Honest feedback, mutual respect and the ability to read the group are qualities they value highly.
“When you enjoy being together, laugh, and genuinely have fun working as a team, a positive energy is created that both elevates performance and makes the journey more rewarding.” explains the team.
Knowing when to bring calm, structure or intensity can decide a race that stretches over 350 nautical miles.
Racing the classic
The Gotland Runt offshore race is sailed under ORCi and SRS rules, with prizes for each class as well as special awards such as best female crew and best youth boat. Team Why Not intends to compete, not just complete. Their goal is to sail a smart race, execute clean maneuvers and prove that a young crew belongs offshore.
At the same time, they want to lower the threshold for others. The step from buoy racing to offshore may feel big. They aim to document the process, share lessons and show what it truly takes to prepare a boat, a team and a mindset for long distance racing.
Their ambition is clear. Finish the race. Perform at their level. Inspire the next crew to ask the same question.
Why not?
Follow Team Why Not and their journey at:
Linkedin: Team Why Not
Instagram: @team.why.not
