McIntyre Mini Globe Race is go!
by McIntyre Mini Globe Race 24 Feb 16:59 GMT
23 February 2025
And They're Off!… Well, Sort Of? : The gun has fired, and most are off! Little Wren is still getting organized but looks way cool. Hey, it's a long way around the world, and they're all having fun. Watch this space and tell your friends! © Rob Havill / MGR2025
Thirteen men and two women from eight countries on Sunday set sail from the small Caribbean Island of Antigua Barbuda, to race solo around the world in Mini 19ft / 5.8mtr ALMA Globe 580 yachts, their only home for the next 13 months. WHY? To prove something to themselves no doubt, but they may not know that yet.
This gruelling marathon has only just begun. It will not be easy! Leg one is to Panama 1200 miles to the west. Then it is another 24000 miles back to Antigua.
A solo adventure race of this magnitude has never been tried before. No one can say for sure it is even possible. Each of the sailors know and firmly believe it is, or they would not be there and would not have spent years building their boats in backyards and garages around the world. Whatever the outcome, they are about to show the world that dreams are worth chasing and responsible risk taking can be the path to a life well lived. There is one thing for certain, their lives will never be the same again!
The McIntyre Mini Globe Race (MGR) conceived and organised by Australian adventurer and solo sailor Don McIntyre, just reset the rules for solo around the world racing! You don't need big money, you don't need to be an elite sportsperson, you certainly don't need anything high tech. You just need some plywood, passion, perseverance and big dreams to inspire a belief in yourself that it can be done and must be done! Everything about this McIntyre MGR runs against the norm, except for the fun factor that is through the roof and the serious nature of the solo Challenge. That's just how McIntyre likes it! He also runs the extreme solo Golden Globe Race around the world.
"I've raced solo around the world in a 15.2mtr yacht and solo across the Atlantic in a Globe 580. Our MGR entrants' may be sailing little yachts, but the adventure is huge and just as emotional and demanding in many ways as the big boat solo events. Yes, it is all cute and fun in the ports, and budgets and workloads are mini by comparison, but alone at sea, when you are the only person to face the challenges 24 hrs a day, the fear can be just as real and the physical and emotional strain just as intense. The big deal here is that anyone, no matter age, gender, income or skill, can make this happen if they want it badly enough!!" Don McIntyre, ALMA Globe 5.80 Class Founder & Event Organiser.
An ALMA Globe 580 costs just Euro 50-60,000 to build and equip. You can sail them pulling strings without winches and you can retire below to bake a cake or stream YouTube movies from your comfy bunk! The racing is intense and close, as these ALMA Globe 580 yachts are all the same strong, seaworthy, easy to build design. Nearly 100 sailors in 37 countries are actively building them using sustainable plantation marine plywood, creating a low carbon footprint yacht at just 19ft or 5.8metres long.
Today (23rd Feb 2025) at 10.15am it was another beautiful blue sky, warm tradewind day in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua when these excited sailors cast off from the National Sailing Academy dock, Hosts of the MGR. All but one had previously raced 3600 miles solo across the Atlantic in the Globe 580 Transat from Rubicon Marina in Lanzarote, Canary Islands to qualify for the McIntyre MGR. Australian, Gary Swindail (#111 Question 2) shipped his Globe 580 from Australia. It arrived late, so he is currently out completing his qualifying miles before crossing the start line a week late. For the rest, the past three weeks were a rush of briefings, safety checks, parties and Antigua holidays, a last chance to be normal for over a year!
With Foghorn's blaring, the Mini Globe fleet formed a sail parade through the mega yachts of Falmouth Harbour Marina and the Antigua Yacht Club, bidding them farewell (see you next year!!) As they passed, huge "mega" horns reciprocated and yacht crews shouted well wishes, maybe a little stunned, amazed and clearly scratching their heads at what they were witnessing.
Fans stood under coconut trees on Pigeon beach, toes in the sand or warm water, watching the action just 200 meters away, as the start line was inside Falmouth Harbour usually reserved for dingy races, a local first for an ocean race. The National Sailing Academy sent out a few youth training yachts and about 30 visiting yacht owners arrived for a tender party packed with crews watching history in the making!
On the 10-minute gun, Eric March on SUNBEAR had a headsail issue and sailed straight for a reef unaware it existed, not quite looking where he was going. Not a good idea, so to his surprise gently slid up onto it, just as the Race Director Don arrived to warn him. He sailed off under a spinnaker about 8 minutes later, eventually crossing the line last.
"Captain Coconut" of Golden Globe Race fame, and also as captain of EXPLORER in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race provided the start vessel. Onboard 11-year-old Lia Goodwin from the National Sailing Academy fired the start gun and they were off in this historic event. Adam Waugh (#170 LITTLE WREN), was first across the line. He had suffered two displaced fractured ribs close to his spine in the voyage across the Atlantic. Now fully recovered and in a hurry, he was flying like the 'Little Wren "that used to visit him every day for two years while building his Globe 580. With the MGR under way, Coconut weighed anchor and set off after the 580 fleet for his third quick lap of the planet in company, just for the fun!
On the pin end of the line. Keri Haris (#47 Origami), retired UK Navy commander of a Royal Navy Aircraft carrier was struggling to master his "Big Red" A3 asymmetric spinnaker. One has to ask the question, what would his past Royal Navy officers and crew really think? His windvane self-steering sent for repairs was delivered unserviceable the night before the start, so cannot be used for this leg of the MGR. Sleep will be hard, but this is all part of the adventure.
The 15kt breeze on the gun built to 20-25kt as they sailed out through the heads and within 10 minutes, was gusting toward 30kts under clouds. Sail selection became a game worth watching as the fleet scattered, struggling to adapt. Renaud Stitelmann (#28 Capucinette) winner of the Globe 580 Transat was quickly back in the grove, taking the lead averaging 7.1kts while looking very relaxed. He was happy to be back at sea. Keri Harris was right there ready to move as soon as Renaud made a mistake. It was like this for 22 days across the Atlantic and that was how it finished. This battle has new players waiting to join front runners.
As the sun set, the wind dropped and my phone rang. It was Ertan Beskardes sailing McIntyre's original TREKKA, the first of the Globe 580's built in 2021. It was a video call on WhatsApp. He was relaxing in the cockpit with a drink, sun setting behind, making 4kts on a smooth sea. He was feeling happy and emotional living a long-held dream. He had just ended a call to his wife. He had just checked the tracker online and was in 9th place. Ertan loved the Golden Globe Race, but unable to use a sat phone by the rules of the game, missed his family so much decided to retire in Cape Town. Now he has Starlink!
The MGR follows in the footsteps of our patron, the late John Guzzwell who was the first person to sail a MINI solo around the world 70 years ago. He set out in 1955 on his Self-built 21ft timber TREKKA, a simple and sturdy ocean voyaging yacht without starlink or windvane. He did it and inspired many. So can these sailors. The MGR is a true adventure with an unknown outcome, but it will be done. Thanks for following. Tell your friends, they will be amazed.
The McIntyre Mini Globe Race is a world first event and has never been attempted by Mini Ocean racers. The course around the world celebrates the 75th Anniversary and follows in the footsteps of John Guzzwell, who in 1955 set off in his home built 20ft timber yacht TREKKA to become the first ever "Mini Yacht" to sail around the world.
You can follow the fleet on Facebook and YouTube channel for regular updates.