National Sailing Academy hosts historic world first McIntyre Mini Globe Race (MGR)

On Feb. 23rd at 11.30am 15 solo sailors will set off from Falmouth Harbour in home built 19ft-5.8 metre plywood yachts to race 26000 miles around the world.

They will not return to Antigua until March of 2026! This is the first time Antigua has ever hosted an around the world yacht race and this one is sure to attract the attention of people around the Globe.

This world first event, never attempted in mini yachts is hosted by the National Sailing Academy where all entrants are presently moored for final preparations, safety checks and briefings.

These adventurous men and women representing 8 countries arrived last week after racing 3000 miles solo across the Atlantic in the third edition of the Globe 580 Transat (also hosted by the National Sailing Academy) from Marina Rubicon in the Canaries to Antigua as part of their qualifying requirements to enter the Mini Globe Race.

The McIntyre Mini Globe is organized by Australian adventurer and solo sailor Don McIntyre who also organises two other circumnavigating events, the well-known solo Golden Globe Race starting from Les Sables d’Olonne in France and the crewed Ocean Globe Race starting from the UK.

This challenge and adventure is extreme and sure to deliver many dramatic emotional and amazing stories, while the passion and enthusiasm of the crews for this huge challenge is nothing short of remarkable.

After years of building their boats in backyards and garages around the world, then preparing themselves and their tiny yachts, they are all eager to get underway. Living for over a year in a plywood box, facing all the oceans of the world is a life defining challenge.

From Antigua the MGR fleet sails direct to Panama, but instead of transiting the canal they will be trucked across to the Pacific side. Then they sail across the Pacific for Fiji arriving in mid-June for a three-week stopover before continuing the race across the top of Australia and then deep south to the Southern Ocean bound for Cape Town in South Africa.

After an extended Xmas break beside Table Mountain, it is up and across the South Atlantic to Recife in Brazil for the final stopover before heading home to Antigua.

A welcome reception on the 17th of Feb and a farewell celebration on the 21st of Feb are planned at the National Sailing Academy. Two lucky groups of local school children along with a group of adults from the Sailability programme are being invited out for a special sailing day at 2pm 18th FEB, with these adventurous skippers onboard their ALMA Globe 580 One Design Class yachts.

The yachts are specially designed to race around the world and proving very popular with sailors from 37 countries currently building them.

Start day promises to be quite a spectacle inside Falmouth Harbour with the start line just off Pigeon Point, a fantastic viewing opportunity for all locals to watch the action.

After leaving the Academy Dock at around 10am the fleet will parade past and around Falmouth Harbour and Antigua Yacht Club Marina for all those having Sunday morning coffee to cheer on, before these mighty mini 580 yachts make their way to the start area.

MGR Organisers hope to see locals and visitors on the beach or out on the water in tenders, or yachts for a rousing farewell and good luck in Antigua’s first ever solo around the world yacht race.

“It is very exciting for us to be in Antigua with the National Sailing Academy to launch the Mini Globe Race which has been six years in the planning. The warm welcome and supper friendly locals and great support has brought us back three times with our 580 Transat race and we love it here.

The sailors are excited and are making the most of their perfect tropical surroundings and will be sad to leave, but at the same time excited to start this unbelievable adventure. Before then, everyone is welcome to come and meet the skippers and see the boats on the National Sailing Academy dock now”

DON MCINTYRE, ALMA Globe 5.80 CLASS FOUNDER & EVENT ORGANISER

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 etc social media for regular updates. STARTDAY LIVE ON FACEBOOK & YOUTUBE.