In 1977 the first ever Mini Transat took off from the UK bound for Antigua and English harbour on the opposite side of the Atlantic.
The first leg to the Canaries was simply a qualifier, such that if you did not make that leg of the voyage, you could not start the final 3000-mile trip across the big blue. The boats were simple and the rules basic but the fun factor and challenge was high. 23 yachts set out on that first grand adventure. Read the full 1977 Race Report.
The concept was borne from the huge expanse of ocean racing back in the day, so why not put on a solo ocean race in small, competent yachts, affordable for all.
44 years later and the Mini Transat has evolved into even more exciting racing with Class Mini 6.50 yachts setting off from France to across the Atlantic every two years. Still in 22 ft yachts, the original concept has been turned on its head. A race winning yacht can cost upwards of €300,000! Not quite the original idea of Bob Salmon, the founder of the Mini Transat, but nonetheless a pretty cool event!
The Class Globe 5.80 has evolved from the principle of returning once again to a simple, affordable, competent ocean voyaging yacht that can race as a one design class and bring real adventure and challenge to ordinary sailors.
The Globe 5.80 is also designed to race around the world and perform on all points of sail, not just as a running reaching yacht, and is not as extreme in terms of sail area/displacement ratios. So you do not need to be a peak athlete to sail her to her numbers.
On the 31 October 2021, the very first ever Globe 5.80 Transat departed from Portugal. COVID created delays for many of the 160 builders around the world in 27 countries. Early in 2021, we had expressions of interest from 14 builders hoping to make the start. We saw six entries cross the start line, all trail blazers in an event that looks to have a strong future. The G580T will be held every two years and as the 5.80 easily fits in a 20ft container, we are expecting boats from around the world in future editions. Many are currently building specifically for the 2025 Mini Globe Race and the G580T is a perfect qualifier to that.
During the race, you can keep up with the latest news on the G580T here and on Facebook. The live tracking will provide all the answers and rankings. Our Race Director will provide regular Facebook LIVE updates each day and you can listen to the twice weekly entrant sat phone interviews on our SoundCloud. A short documentary of the first G580T will be released in 2023.
Thanks for following and keeping the dream alive!
Don McIntyre, Globe 5.80 Founder
