LAND HO!
Posted by Graham Cox
All entrants in the 2025 Globe 580 Transat have safely made landfall, and are gathered at the National Sailing Academy in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua, where they will now begin preparations for the next stage of their adventure, the Mini Globe Race, which starts on 23 February.
After the arrival of CAPUCINETTE on a sunny afternoon on 2 February, scooting along before a fresh tradewind breeze, followed by ORIGAMI under cover of darkness four hours later, and BIGGEST MONKEY the following morning, the middle pack of the 2025 Globe 580 Transat followed in short order, all in less than 25 days, a remarkable elapsed time for 5.8m yachts traversing this classic transatlantic route.
Next in was Dan Turk on LITTLE BEA, taking 4th place with an elapsed time of 24 days, 14 hours and 38 minutes, looking a little thinner after a diet of tinned sardines, perhaps, and whatever else he could rustle up as the boat leapt and cavorted across the ocean. He was in good spirits, saying that a few mouthfuls of champagne had done wonders for his painful leg already, although he did note that he felt a little wobbly on the dock!
His only disappointment was that he had not seen a great deal of wildlife on the crossing, and hoped it wasn’t an indication of the health of the ocean. LITTLE BEA is in good shape, apart from a little wear and tear on running rigging and a defective solar panel. His major task while in port will be to resolve his sciatic nerve problem, through physio and getting plenty of rest. Don McIntyre was amused by the tropical, laid-back look aboard LITTLE BEA, with Dan reclining under an awing in the shade.
Pilar Pasanau brought PETER PUNK in that night, after a passage of 23 days, 18 hours and 50 minutes to take 5th place. This singlehanded transatlantic veteran said that the boat had stood up to the trip well, with no breakages, but that it was the hardest crossing she has experienced.
Niels, who was a part of her welcoming committee, seemed astonished, and said that maybe he had not realised conditions were so rough, since it was his first passage! He is something of a joker, however. He made a cocky video (let’s see it, Niels!) as he approached Antigua on the last day, then went on deck to survey his domain. A wave chose this moment to smack into BIGGEST MONKEY, throwing him to leeward across the cockpit, where he ended up with his head poking through the lifelines and his face in the water. ‘The ocean taught me one last lesson,’ he joked. ‘It is not over till the fat lady sings.’
Pilar had no major breakages, just one deck vent that was snared by the mainsheet in an involuntary gybe, and some minor wear and tear on sails and running rigging. She also suffered a serious burn to her foot when heating water on her Jetboil. There are two sleeping positions on PETER PUNK – on the bunk when she is wet, with a waterproof mattress, and on cushions on the cabin sole when she is dry. She said that it was important to keep weight aft in fresh winds, moving gear out of the forepeak and onto the windward bunk, secured by a high leecloth. She has since declared her intention to compete in the MGR, which is wonderful news, as she is one of the top 580 skippers.
Renaud Stitelmann, true to reputation, was busy cooking Pilar up a fine pasta meal while she talked to the reception committee. He has also been baking cakes to share with his compadres. The team spirit of this group is extraordinary.
Late the following afternoon, just as the light was mellowing, John Blenkinsop brought DELJA 100 home into 6th place, with an elapsed time of 24 days, 7 hours. Everything had gone well aboard, apart from losing his jib halyard. He had a list of improvements to make, mostly streamlining his running gear for faster sail changes and more effective trimming. Later, he mentioned that he had almost run out of water, after ditching some to try and stay ahead of Dan Turner, who had been chasing him for days. He had only eaten two of his freeze-dried meals near the end, not liking them much. Before that he ate couscous, tuna and other wet foods.
Shortly afterwards, IMMORTAL GAME crossed the finish line, so John and Dan Turner had something of a twin celebration on the dock. They had been sailing close together for days, often only a mile apart, though Dan regularly lost ground when he had to sleep, as he could only get his Hydrovane to work when sailing under headsail alone, thus losing 1.5-2 knots of hull-speed whenever he relinquished the helm.
Besides the loss of IMMORTAL GAME’s transom-hung daggerboards, the position of his solar panels restricted movement of his Hydrovane’s air paddle (windvane), affecting performance of the unit. He would chase John all day, catch him, then fall back during the night and have to do it all again the following day. Besides modifying his self-steering system, he hopes to improve his headsail wardrobe while in Antigua.
Having lost 40 litres of water during his knockdown, two days out of Lanzarote, he’d been anxious about his water supply, but ended up using less than expected. He was running a bit short on food, however, having seriously underestimated quantities. It was lucky the passage was not a slow one.
He also caught a mahi-mahi, and the fresh fish was a welcome addition to his diet. He did not like the mess and hard work of preparing the fish to eat, however, and did not attempt to catch another. Back home, Dan loves fishing, but doing so in a small bucket that is being tossed around on the Atlantic is a different story. IMMORTAL GAME is now on the hard, undergoing a refit.
There was a high-spirited discussion on the dock between Dan Turner, Dan Turk, John Blenkinsop and Niels Kamphuis about the importance of keeping the boat balanced in fresh following winds. They concurred that the boats tracked better under self-steering when they were in the cockpit, with their weight further aft, only to round up, shaking the sails, when the skippers went below. John would get so fed up that he’d come up on deck and shout at DELJA 100’s Hydrovane but it didn’t listen to him.
Moving water bottles around to compensate for body weight became a constant challenge, and watching these guys mime their antics on the dock was hilarious. The answer might be to move all or some of their 10L water containers into the cockpit in these conditions, but they’d better be tied on securely, as Dan Turner found out the hard way.
Another issue is that a number of boats have experienced cracks in their swept-back spreaders, possibly caused by pushing hard with the mainsail up. Replacement spreaders are being sent out to Antigua by Selden Spars, but Keri Harris, skipper of ORIGAMI, who also has the same problem, made the point that MGR entrants might have to back off a little and nurse their boats better, treating the around-the-world race as the marathon it is, and not just a sprint across the ocean. Selden Spars believe that the spreader specifications are adequate, suggesting that skippers should be setting up their running backstays sooner.
The next boat in, under cover of darkness, was ARGO, securing 8th position in 24 days, 11 hours and 32 minutes. Christian Sauer said there were times during the passage when he had his doubts about whether his home-built boat could take the punishment, or whether he could for that matter, nursing a painful shoulder and swollen knee. Whatever doubts he had, he pressed on with admirable determination, and on arrival said that he intended to continue in the MGR.
ARGO needs a fair bit of attention in Antigua, though Christian was hoping to find enough time to also explore his first Caribbean island. Sail chafe has been a major issue, with his hanked-on jibs and spinnakers tearing where the sailcloth slid back and forth over the hanks when rolling in light airs, and his mainsail chafed against the loose, leeward running backstay. He also needs to sort out his self-steering gear, and perhaps think about whether to fit headsail furlers or not. However, the boat suffered no structural issues, and he arrived with plenty of food and water reserves.
Adam Waugh arrived in bright sunshine the following day, 25 days, 1 hour and 40 minutes after crossing the start in Lanzarote, all smiles despite his damaged ribs. It was noticeable that clambering around the boat still gave him some discomfort. Despite finding the trip harder than expected, both physically and psychologically (‘A hell of a qualifier,’ he said with a grin), he had learned a great deal about himself and the boat, and was eager to put the lessons to good use in the MGR.
Losing one of his spinnaker poles early on meant that he was unable to pole out his twin jibs effectively, though he did manage to run the second jib-sheet through the end of the main boom at times. He’d taken the pole back into the cockpit for a minor repair, and poked it down through the hatch into the cabin. Just then, a wave struck LITTLE WREN on the side, knocking the boat down, and the pole was ejected into the ocean. He could not believe it had gone at first, and thought for a moment that perhaps it was hiding under the cabin sole or something. If you have been aboard a 580, you’ll understand how funny this statement is.
The other major problem occurred when his A3 partially unfurled in a squall, at 0200 on the second day out of Lanzarote. He had to unfurl it fully, then drop it. It ended up over the side of the boat, acting like a giant sea-anchor. He was about to cut it loose with his bolt-cutters, when it partially broke free and he was able to drag it aboard. After this, he lost confidence in his furling gear, and for the rest of the race set the spinnakers flying from the cockpit. He has yet to decide if he is going to reinstall them. It would certainly make sense not to leave the furled A3 hoisted.
Being confined to the cabin for long periods after damaging his ribs, because it was so painful to get in and out of the hatch, got him down at times. He only went on deck when he had to manage sails. He confined himself to a reefed mainsail and the jib mostly, though sometimes he set the storm jib from the end of the bowsprit to boost speed. He modestly said at the finish that he would not have stood a chance against the boats ahead of him anyway, but that remains to be seen. Before his mishaps, LITTLE WREN was doing well, and he kept up a good average speed despite his handicaps.
Jakub Ziemkiewicz sailed in out of the sunrise on 6 February to take 10th place, in a time of 25 days, 20 hours and 47 minutes. He was in high spirits, dressed as a pirate, complete with plastic cutlass, arm guard and black bandana, with the largest Irish flag imaginable flying off of his stern. He could have used it as a jury-rig if needed. In a fit of exuberance at the dock, he dove off BIBI’s bow, in the process consigning Don McIntyre’s second microphone, which was clipped to his shirt, to the deep.
During his arrival interview, he waxed lyrical about the different sorts of orchestral music he heard emanating from wind and waves, depending on the sea state and how BIBI responded. Once he got the boat moving faster, after being prodded by his manager, the tune changed to something like Maurice Ravel’s BOLERO. In an earlier text, he’d written, ‘Finally I’m in the trades. What a majestic view, giant waves like an army of 100,000 tanks proudly marching from horizon to horizon, and crystal-blue breaking tops in the shining sun, taking my breath away.’ Jakub may turn out to be the Bernard Moitessier of the MGR. Watch out for pictures of him doing yoga on the foredeck. He was looking forward to fulfilling his boyhood dream of circumnavigating the world.
Popeye arrived an hour or so after sunset on 8 February, to finish 11th, in a time of 28 days, 9 hours and 19 minutes. This is the same number of days that Don McIntyre took aboard TREKKA II in 2021, and is a respectable passage time for any boat. DELJA 99 was sailing well as Popeye crossed the finish line under reefed mainsail and jib, but it took some time for him to get his outboard motor, which had lost a lower bolt, attached to his transom bracket. In the meantime, it looked like he might ram a nearby superyacht, which turned on all its lights, possibly to make sure they were visible, or maybe just to show off for the cameras.
It took a while to get the boat alongside DELJA 100, as Popeye seemed to be running out of power for the electric outboard, and almost ran aground in the final approaches. In the end, though, he made an impeccable approach, sculling with his rudder, an advantage reserved for small, light boats. His arrival was complicated by the fact that the other skippers had nipped off for a sushi dinner, so there was nobody there to take his lines, until the crew jumped off the committee boat. The idea was to bring some sushi back for Popeye, but his son, John, had not yet put in an appearance before the arrival interview ended. Popeye ate a banana instead, the first fresh food he had enjoyed for several weeks. Pilar arrived at the last moment to help, and a few other skippers eventually showed up.
Popeye grew bored with his ship’s stores, rarely cooked, and felt he had lost weight – not that he had much body mass to start with. The BBQ unit he bought in Lanzarote was only practical in calm weather. Once, he tried to cook eggs on it, and they slid off the griddle and ended up smeared all over the cockpit. He wished he had carried more goodies aboard, and was disappointed to discover that there were no Tim Tam biscuits available in Antigua. He’d been dreaming of Tim Tams, a chocolate biscuit particular to Australian shores.
The passage had been more vigorous than he expected, and at times he wished he had a gimballed chair to recline in, like the one Francis Chichester had aboard GYPSY MOTH IV. He saw no wildlife, apart from a few birds, though he saw several ships, which always seemed to be heading straight towards DELJA 99. However, nothing broke except a small shackle in the mainsheet traveller. He did not celebrate his 70th birthday on 4 February, as that day the squalls were relentless and he was too tired. By keeping north, he had avoided most of the squalls that plagued other entrants, apart from the last few days. His passage offers a good example of how to pace oneself, if not how to win races.
Jasmine appeared out of the dawn on 9 February, sailing well under a poled -out jib, propelled by a fresh breeze across a moderate sea, which made keeping the cameras on the committee boat dry something of a challenge. She crossed the line off English Harbour after 28 days, 20 hours and 41 minutes, the last boat home, but with possibly the most relaxed skipper. She was grinning broadly, and when asked how she felt, said ‘Hungry, really hungry!’ To offset the brilliant graphics of NUMBATOU’s hull, a vibrant rainbow arched through the clouds behind her.
She had plenty of food aboard but was suffering from appetite fatigue; none of it appealed to her. For days, she had been dreaming of fried chicken. Apart from a broken solar panel, masthead tricolour light, and minor damage to the jib, NUMBATOU was in excellent condition, and Jasmine did not have much work to do. She confirmed that she now thinks that sailing across the Atlantic is far easier than rowing, and is looking forward to the MGR. As always, she will take it one day at a time. When asked what she had missed the most, she said, ‘My dogs.’ She was not in the slightest bit tired, and was looking forward to a big breakfast.
This is probably a good place to compare the elapsed times of the 580 fleet with that of other small boats. One of the most appropriate is the passage of 19ft 8in SOPRANINO, sailed by Colin Mudie and Patrick Ellam, in January 1952. They also left the Canary Islands on 11 January, arriving in Barbados on 9 February after a passage of 28 days, with a fastest day’s run of 134 miles. Their book, titled Sopranino, almost convinces you it was just one big lark. When they sailed into Carlisle Bay, another yacht in the anchorage declared they could not have come far as they looked too clean! I doubt somehow if any of the 580 skippers carry dinner jackets and club ties aboard, or don their yachting whites when coming ashore.
The 25ft Vertue class sloop, SPEEDWELL OF HONG KONG, took 26 days a few years later, and skipper John Goodwin held the record for a solo Atlantic crossing for many years. 24ft WANDERER II made the crossing in February. Although longer than the 580s, it is of more traditional design and heavy displacement. Once again sailed with a crew of two, they made the crossing in 29.5 days.
Weather influences passage times, and the fresh, often boisterous conditions in 2025 played their part, but passages of 22-5 days for 5.8m plywood sloops can only be viewed as exceptional. Apart from some relatively minor damage (including a few ribs, burns and strained joints), this fleet of 580s handled the crossing with aplomb, and have proven beyond doubt that they are seaworthy enough to take on a tradewind circumnavigation of the world.
The next weekly update will be after the MGR starts on 23 February.
