Mini Globe Race 2025, 44Cup, Florida racing, Vendee Globe finishers
by David Schmidt 19 Feb 03:00 AEDT
February 18, 2025
Niels Kamphuis (#163 Biggest Monkey) met up mid ocean 1500 miles from Antigua with the world's toughest Row support team so they took some happy snaps in the 4-5mtr swells and 25-30 knt tradewinds © World's Toughest Row / MGR2025
Amidst all the recent focus on the Vendée Globe race and SailGP's Season 5 racing, it's important to remember that there's also great offshore racing unfurling on the opposite end of sailing's waterline spectrum. McIntyre Adventure's Globe Mini 5.80 Transat race recently took entrants—racing aboard 19-foot, often homebuilt steeds—from Lagos, Portugal, to the Canary Islands (read: the qualifier), and then, after a small reprieve, across the Atlantic to English Harbour, on the beautiful Caribbean Island of Antigua.
On February 2, Renaud Stitelmann, racing aboard Capucinette, completed the Globe Mini 5.80 Transat in 22 days, 5 hours, 26 minutes, and 24 seconds. He was joined a few hours later by Keri Harris, who was racing aboard Origami (22 days, 9 hours, 55 minutes, and 7 seconds). Niels Kamphuis, racing aboard Biggest Monkey finished the next day (22 days, 23 hours, 20 minutes, and 17 seconds).
North American interests were best represented by Dan Turk (CAN) who was racing aboard Little Bea (23 days, 14 hours, 38 minutes, and 53 seconds). Turk crossed the finishing line on February 4 at 0438, just in time for his first real breakfast in weeks.
Finishers kept arriving in Antigua over the next week, with Jasmine Harrison, racing aboard Numbatou (28 days, 20 hours, 41 minutes, and 34 seconds), crossing the finishing line on February 9 to join the rest of the fleet safely in the barn.
While it's downright impressive to cross the Atlantic in a 19-footer, 15 brave skippers are now turning their attention (and their 19-footers) to the Mini Globe Race 2025, which starts on February 23 and will take them around the world.
"This is all about dreams, adventure and inspiration, but above everything it is honest to goodness fun and living life to the max!," said Don McIntyre, the race's organizer and Class Globe 5.8 founder, in an official communication. "So, to the people out there who say our around-the-world events are crazy, dangerous and should never happen, or worse...Well sometimes life happens...hey! So, take a good look and hang onto your hats. I am so proud of every one of these sailors and what they are doing and how they are doing it."
While racing across the Atlantic is one thing, the Mini Globe Race 2025, which is set to start Sunday, ratchets things up by several big clicks.
From Antigua, the fleet will sail to the Panama Canal, which they will transit before Leg 1, which stretches from Panama's West Coast to Tahiti. From there, the fleet will sail to the Cocos Islands (Leg 2, with stops in Tonga, Fiji, and Darwin), which they should reach in late September.
Leg 3 will take the fleet to Mauritius, Durban, Cape Town, and then St. Helena, while Leg 4 stretches across the South Atlantic to Recife. Finally, Leg 5 will take the fleet back to Antigua and the conclusion of their adventure (spring 2026).
The boats may be small, but the adventure is huge. So, if you're seeking an antidote to the constantly spiraling real-world news cycle, of even just a bit of perspective from sailing's high-end world of wingsails and T-foils, the Mini Globe Race 2025 could be your ticket.
Sail-World wishes safe and speedy passage to all of these brace skippers, and we look forward to following this race as it wends its way around our lonely planet.
Speaking of the Caribbean, the RC44 class just completed the RC44 Nanny Cay, on the waters of the Sir Francis Drake Channel off of Tortola.
After nine races, Nico Poons and his Charisma team posted the tidiest scorecard (20 points). They were joined on the winner's podium by Hugues Lepic and his Aleph Racing team (24 points) and Vladimir Prosikhin and his Team Nika (36 points).
"Last time Aleph was first and now it's the other way around - that feels good," said Poons in an event communication. "We made some small changes this year and it's working well. I have a good feeling for the season. This event has been very nice, especially this time of the year."
For RC44 fans, the next 44Cup event is set to unfurl in Porto Cervo, Sardinia (Italy), from May 15-18.
Meanwhile, much closer to home, the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series began last weekend (February 14-16) on the waters off of St. Petersburg, Florida. The event, which was hosted by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, offered racing for Melges 15s, Windmills, Lightnings, A Class Cats (both classics and foilers), J/70s, Melges 24s, Hobie 33s, S2 7.9s, L30s, and Sonars. Additionally, the event also featured ORC, PHRF, Racer Cruiser, and Cruiser divisions.
While the regatta was engaging for all participants, it also served as the midwinter championships for the Windmill, Melges 24, Hobie 33, S2 7.9, and Sonar classes.
Sail-World tips our cap to all class winners, and we look forward to the next Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series event, which is set to take place in Annapolis, Maryland, from May 2-4.
Finally, in the Vendée Globe, Antoine Cornic, sailing aboard his IMOCA 60 Human Immobilier, crossed the finishing line on Valentine's Day after spending 96 days, 1 hour, and 59 seconds at sea.
And, at the time of this writing (Monday morning, U.S. West Coast time), Oliver Heer, sailing aboard Tut Gut, had just 8.2 nautical miles separating his bow from the finishing line, while Jingkun Xu, racing aboard Singchain Team Haikou, had just 113 nautical miles left to sail.
Congrats to these Vendée Globe finishers, and good luck to the three remaining skippers (Manuel Cousin, Fabrice Amedeo, and Denis Van Weynbergh) who are still working to complete their laps.
May the four winds blow you safely home.
David Schmidt
Sail-World.com North American Editor