Mini Globe Race Launches from Antigua: First Solo World Race in 19-Foot Boats

Solo circumnavigation has a bold new face. On February 23, 2025, 15 sailors—13 men and 2 women representing 8 countries—set sail from Antigua’s National Sailing Academy aboard 19-foot ALMA Globe 580 plywood boats in the first-ever Mini Globe Race (MGR). Starting from Falmouth Harbour, the fleet will attempt a 26,000-nautical-mile journey around the world in the smallest, simplest ocean-capable boats ever used in a global race.

The Mini Globe Race marks a major shift in offshore sailing by proving that you don’t need a million-dollar yacht, elite athleticism, or corporate sponsorship to achieve the dream of solo circumnavigation. Each sailor first completed a 3,600-mile transatlantic qualifier—the Globe 580 Transat—to earn a spot in this groundbreaking event.

“I’ve raced solo around the world in a 50’ yacht and across the Atlantic in a Globe 580,” says Don McIntyre, the Australian adventurer who founded the MGR. “But the emotional and physical intensity of sailing solo in a small boat is just as real. The MGR proves that anyone—regardless of income, age, or background—can take on the world.”

The MGR is also a milestone for Antigua, marking its role as host of the first solo round-the-world race to ever start in the Caribbean. The race unfolds in five legs:

• Leg 1: Antigua to Panama (1,200 nm)
• Leg 2: Panama to Fiji (by July 2025)
• Leg 3: Fiji to Durban, South Africa (by December 2025)
• Leg 4: Durban to Recife, Brazil (February 2026)
• Leg 5: Recife to Antigua (March 2026 finish)

Follow the fleet live: minigloberace.com/tracker
Build your own boat: classglobe580.com/buy-plans

Carol Bareuther has written for ALL AT SEA since 2004.