Would you consider sailing a 5.8m, self-righting yacht around the world? If the answer is yes, the 2024 Mini Globe Race could be for you!

Don McIntyre, who is behind the Golden Globe Race and Ocean Globe Race, will be launching his One Design ClassMini 5.80 at the HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show on 13 March, as well as a series of races for the boat.

Don McIntyre is behind the Ocean Globe Race and 2018 and 2022 Golden Globe Race. Credit: Christophe Favreau/PPL/GGR

These will include two 5.80 Transat events – the first starting from Portugal in November 2021 –  and the second planned for 2023.

An Azores and Back race in June-July 2022 and a 2024 Mini Globe Race, which will be raced in six legs westabout via Panama, are also planned.

The Mini Globe Race is expected to start either in October or November 2024 from a European port yet to be announced.

Mini Globe Race 2024 route

Leg One: Europe to Canary Islands followed by a four day stopover, before continuing to a Caribbean port and a seven day stop, and then on to Panama. Approximately 4,700 miles.

Leg Two: Panama to The Marquesas Islands, seven day stopover, and then on to Tahiti. Approximately 4,660 miles.

Leg Three: Start Tahiti to Tonga. Approximately 1,400 miles.

Leg Four: Tonga to Kupang, the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. Approximately 3,800 miles.

Leg Five: Kupang to Mauritius, seven day stopover, and then on to Cape Town. Approximately 6,200 miles.

Leg Six: Cape Town to Cape Verde, seven day stopover, and then on to European finish. Approximately 5,700 miles.

In total, skippers can expect to race 26,400 miles and take around 400 days to finish the race.

Entries for the Mini Globe Race will open on 1 November 2020.

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Preliminary information about the race states that entrants must have a minimum of 2,000 ocean sailing miles experience.

They must also have sailed the ClassMini 5.80 a minimum of 500 miles solo and non-stop while navigating with just a sextant and using wind-vane only.

Skippers must also have completed a survival course and medical.

‘I just like little boats and big adventures,’ explained McIntyre, who stressed that the Golden Globe Race 2022 and the Ocean Globe Race 2023 were still ‘my absolute priority’.

‘I am building a ClassMini 5.80 for me. I hope to sail my ClassMini 5.80 across the Atlantic soon. I am looking forward to that!’ said McIntyre.

‘I’m inspired by the many previous small boat ocean voyages, including around the world.’

Self-build or buy

The ClassMini 5.80, which can be self-built out of plywood, has been designed by Polish sailor Janusz Maderski, and hull number one is currently under construction in Poland. Sea trials should get underway by late June.

The one design boat features basic plywood epoxy construction, bow foam crash box, three watertight compartments, two watertight bulkheads and a fully battened mainsail.

The hull will be laminated with epoxy and glass, and the keel will be steel fabricated with lead bulb.

Hull No 1 is already being built, and will be raced by Don McIntyre in the 2021 Solo 5.80 Transat which will leave from Portugal

McIntyre said that with a LOA of 5.8m, a beam of 2.3m and a draft of 1.5m, he would expect average speeds of 100 miles a day.

Once the keel, rudder and spars are removed, the boat should be able to fit into a standard 20ft shipping container.

For those building their own ClassMini 5.80 a builders’ group forum will be set up.

Plans for the yacht will be released on 1 June.

McIntyre said the boat can be built by one or two people with little experience and basic tools in about 500 hours.

A list of approved shipwrights will also be provided for those who want to buy rather than build.

For more details visit www.ClassMini580.com after 14 March.