Ari Huusela (born 28 October 1962) is a professional Finnish pilot and amateur offshore single-handed sailor.

[4] In 2007, the Transat 6,50 race started from La Rochelle, France, and continued via Madeira to Salvador da Bahia in Brazil.

[6] In 2014, Huusela was the first participant from the Nordic countries to finish the Route du Rhum single-handed sailing race from Saint-Malo, France, to Guadeloupe, with his boat Neste Oil.

[9] In the autumn of 2019, Huusela again made Nordic sailing history when he captained his boat, IMOCA Ariel II, to the finish line of the legendary coffee race Transat Jacques Vabre.

Huusela crossed the finish line of the iconic race after 116 days 18 hours 15 minutes on March 5, 2021. a Note: Double-handed, co-skipper: Mikey Ferguson.

Ariel II is the same boat with which Huusela now participates in the Vendée Globe race, only now renamed Stark after his main sponsor.