Build your own Mini to race around the world

McIntyre Adventure, organiser of the Solo 2018 and the fully crewed 2023 OceanGlobeRace, has announced plans to establish a new International One Design Class of plywood, Mini 5.80-meter yachts. Aimed at home builders and adventurous racing sailors, a solo 5.80 Transatlantic race is planned for 2021 and a Mini Globe Race is scheduled for 2024.

The Mini 5.80 is said to be for all sailors who dream of sailing oceans in small, fun, affordable and proven safe, ocean-going yachts. Construction plans cost just €300. It all fits inside a 20ft container for shipping to, or from international events. The mast has a sleeve to allow two-piece shipping and removing keel and rudder is simple. It can be taken home on a trailer, by an ordinary family car.

The official launch of the ClassMini 5.80 will take place at the HISWA Amsterdam Boat show on Saturday 14th March, full details will be released and the official website will go live. Hull No. 01 for Don McIntyre is currently under construction in Poland. McIntyre will sail this yacht in the first Solo 5.80 Transat, setting out from Portugal in NOV. 2021. It will then be used to sponsor other young sailors.

The idea for this new simple Mini 5.80 started to form in 2010 when McIntyre was sailing a 25ft Open timber Whale boat, 4000 miles across the Pacific, from Tonga to Kupang – West Timor in the wake of William Bligh and his men, following the mutiny on the HMS Bounty.

“I love small boats for their simplicity and pure adventure and building this 5.80 with sustainable plantation plywood is about as low impact as you can get,” says Don. “I have no idea if sailors will get excited about this new development, but I certainly am. We hope to see boats building all over the world and if that happens, we will support National Associations and local races. It’s not foiling, nor carbon and we’re ok with that.”