Goodbye Cape Town! Mini Globe Bans AI images

by McIntyre Mini Globe Race 29 Dec 2025 17:09 PST 28 December 2025

Adventurous ALMA GLOBE 580 solo sailors and 13 emotional African Zulu Dancers creating memories to last a lifetime! © Don McIntyre / MGR2025

Slow start of final 6000-mile leg from Cape Town up the Atlantic to the finish of the McIntyre Mini Globe Race at the National Sailing Academy in ANTIGUA.
A traditional ZULU send off heightens a mixed bag of "happy sad" emotions leaving friendly South Africa, the Royal Cape Yacht Club and the V&A Waterfront!
Keri Harris left behind in a costly tactical decision.
An inappropriate AI image sparks a ban on all AI Images within all three McIntyre Adventure Around the World Races: MGR, GGR and OGR.

McIntyre Mini Globe Race fleet at the V&A Waterfront marina taking a break on their way into the history books, as the first ever mini solo circumnavigation race around the world and amongst the smallest boats to ever do it! - photo © Don McIntyre / MGR2025

In the traditional pre-start Facebook "LIVE" coverage from the V&A Waterfront by organisers Don & Jane, minutes before dropping lines, entrants portrayed a common and consistent theme. They were nervous!

Even after a year sailing 21,000 miles solo around the world, with only 6000 miles to the finish, they still had butterflies in their stomach!

The five minute Gun and the breeze is dropping fast! Table Mountain and the BIG CAPE WHEEL at the V&A Waterfront in the background - photo © Don McIntyre / MGR2025

They know it's risky. They all agree sailing a 5.8mtr plywood yacht they built themselves across oceans is anything but ordinary. At times it's scary! Yet each is happy to go, and sad to leave with no idea of the outcome in the next few months!

Anxious they may be, but they are also proud. Not just of themselves, but the entire family of 11 ordinary humans, each driven forward by passion for something indescribable that demands everything and more. Constant sacrifice of time, energy, money and even family. But no one is giving up. They are all in it together and they protect and help each other along. The mood is electric and special. Yes, the McIntyre Mini Globe Race is unique, but for those involved it's extraordinary!

Glass out and motor sailing races begin with the wind a few miles to the west clearly visible on the horizon - photo © Don McIntyre / MGR2025

African Farewell!

A team of 13 African Zulu dancers arrived to deliver a power packed traditional farewell full of energy, colour and emotion, befitting of this beautiful country and its warm people. Entrants wanted just a few more days, but that is the challenge of life! The ocean was calling and they will never forget.

The “Isibane Se Afrika” Dancers were powerful, fun and full of African energy as they delivered an emotional set of farewell songs - photo © Don McIntyre / MGR2025

Keri Trapped!

The wind died a few minutes after the gun, at 1200UTC on Sunday 28th! A true drifter in the lee of Table Mountain that can at times make things roar! But not today. Keri Harris (#47 Origami / UK) was first across the line. Five minutes after the start, 1000W electric engines are allowed. In Glass out conditions the wind was just two miles to the west and visible on the horizon. It was not due to arrive for a couple hours. The fleet motor sailed Northwest at 2-3kts. Keri Harris and Jakub Ziemkiewicz (#185 Bibi / IE) waited for the wind, deciding not to motor. 20 minutes later Jakub changed his mind.

Jakub Ziemkiewicz after the gun was waiting for the wind with no engine fitted! No wind came, so he fitted the engine following the others for an hour of motoring at 2- 3kts - photo © Don McIntyre / MGR2025

Keri was sailing at 4kts on a NNE course two hours after the start. The fleet, just 3.5 miles away, continued at 4-5kts NW. In the next few hours, the SE wind extended over the start line, but Keri was committed to the Northerly course at times reaching 6.8kts. At 7pm local time as the sun came low the sea breeze died, it was game over for Keri. He was trapped in the wind shadow of Robin Island. Overnight the forecast low pressure system moved over the top of him with zero wind. Meanwhile the fleet had hooked onto a 1.8kt favourable current and sailed away in the 25-30kt SE wind at 6.5-7.5kts. Keri struggled, sailing in circles.

Keri Harris sailed off the marina and out of the harbour to the start line refusing to use the engine. In the rules of the MGR, the 1000 watt engines can be run on the course, but with limited battery capacity they cannot get far - photo © Don McIntyre / MGR2025

At 1200UTC on the 29th, 24hrs after the start, the leaders were 150 miles away sailing at 7kts. The SE wind may not now return to Keri for another 12 hours. By then the leaders may be about 225 miles away! Keri was the fastest sailor from Mauritius to Cape, holding third place overall with Dan Turner 2.5 days ahead and 4th place Pilar Pasanau (#98 Peter Punk / ES) 4.5 days behind Dreaming of wind is an understatement! It is never over till the fat lady sings so watch this space!

At 1200 UTC on the 29th Dec. 24hours after the start Keri's position is dramatic, trapped in a hole with the leaders streaming away helped by a strong favourable current and wind direction - photo © MGR2025

No Place for 'AI'... Don McIntyre

Xmas in Cape Town was fun and a day to remember. The MGR party was a few days before. On Xmas day an entrant rang me in distress. He just heard a 580's was on fire and was cut adrift off the marina before it caught others. He was rushing to the marina. I quickly clarified details and moved into crisis mode, jumped in the car with others ringing to confirm emergency services attending. I sped toward the marina to be greeted by a group of distressed entrants. The subject boat was bobbing happily alongside. It was a sick social media joke, by another entrant, using a very accurate "AI" Image of devastation. With messages of shock and sorry building rapidly on my phone and social media comments, Xmas of 2025 was interesting.

Two days later an "AI" image of the Sydney Hobart winner appeared in a headline story from a journalist I greatly respect and like. I was very surprised! I was not alone on that issue. I mentioned frustration with the picture on my social media and many agreed. For the past two years I have been declaring widely that the beauty of all three of our around the world races, MINI GLOBE, GOLDEN GLOBE and OCEAN GLOBE RACE is that they are "AI" proof. All are genuine, very real human adventures, with stories and images you can trust! Yet I can see the writing on the wall.

There are real advantages to "AI" and I use it. I will never replace Jane, but I have effectively replaced my "Personal Assistant" with an "AI" companion. The future of our human events hinges on the trust of our followers. They need to know the images and stories are indeed real. So as of 1st January 2026, "AI" Images are BANNED in all three of the McIntyre Adventure around the world races. Entrants and teams of the MGR, GGR and OGR are prohibited from creating, generating, producing or publishing in all "media", an AI image with any connection whatsoever to the event entered in, or any subjects or people associated with that event, whilst an entrant is in the event and forever their after! An entrant or team member who does so, places the event into disrepute and relevant penalties apply.

On to the finish!

Next stop is St Helena for a seven day pit-stop and then to Recife where they will re-group for the final run to Antigua. Eta at the finish is between 6th and 12th March 2026! Then this little fleet of mighty Minis will rewrite History for sure! "Touch Wood".