McIntyre Mini Globe Leg 2 Update - “Logs, Lightning & Lost Winds”
by McIntyre Mini Globe Race 10 Apr 2025 15:58 BST
Jasmine Harrison from UK, a champion ocean swimer and solo atlantic rower is making her mark as a solo sailor now and clearly surprising herself!! She is loving the Pacific! and like most of the fleet filing cool videos and pics with her STARLINK Mini! © Jasmine Harrison / MGR2025
The Pacific - two weeks in! A Test of Grit, Wit, and Seamanship on the World's Greatest Ocean, on the world's smallest yachts, in the world's only around the world yacht race currently sailing.
The vast Pacific Ocean has thrown down the gauntlet to the McIntyre Mini Globe Race fleet of Mighty Mini's, presenting a 7,200-nautical-mile challenge that is equal parts endurance test, tactical puzzle, and personal journey of discovery. As the 13 ALMA Class Globe 580 yachts battle through Leg Two from Panama to Fiji, each day brings new triumphs, frustrations, and moments of sublime beauty that define ocean racing and adventure at its purest.
Departure drama: Panama's fiery farewell
The adventure began on March 25th under Panama's relentless sun, with temperatures soaring to 33 degreesC (91 degreesF) as the fleet prepared to depart Balboa. The start line, set east of the busy shipping channel, became a stage for both comedy and drama as the competitors danced their tiny yachts across in glass calm drifting conditions.
Keri Harris aboard ORIGAMI had already faced his first major challenge before the starting gun. During leg 1, Antigua to Panama, a vicious knockdown flooded his cabin with an estimated 600 liters of seawater.
"I looked up from my bunk to see water lapping at the mattress, the electronics were fried, solar panels gone, and my windvane in pieces." Harris recalled.
His Panama stopover became a marathon repair session, rebuilding systems with the determination that is now serving him well in the Pacific but he missed the start by 12 hours.
Across the fleet, similar stories unfolded. Aussie Dan Turner on IMMORTAL GAME wrestled with forestay failure, forcing him to abandon his roller furling system for a hank-on jib.
"I owe Jasmine big time for lending me her spare forestay, this is why the MGR feels more like a family than a race." Turner admitted.
Aussie Father and son team Mike Blenkinsop (#99 Delja99), AKA Popeye & John Blenkinsop (#100 DELJA100) also missed the start and hoped to depart a few days later, but are currently still in Panama! waiting parts, hoping to depart this Friday, nearly 2000 miles and 17 days behind the other 13 entrants!
The start itself was classic McIntyre MGR theater. With barely enough wind to fill their asymmetric spinnakers, several boats needed electric outboard assists to cross the line and the Panama canal, a concession reluctantly granted by race officials due to the dangerous shipping traffic.
18 hours later, Dan Turk (#20 LITTLE BEA / CA) nearly came to grief when hit by strong adverse currents and no wind between two rocky islands. Pushed toward danger his electric outboard battery unexpectedly collapsed from 70% to empty in a few minutes. An urgent radio call to Christian Sauer (#103 Argo / DE) who immediately backtracked 1.5 miles and towed him to safety fixed the problem.
"That's the spirit of this race, we compete hard, but we look out for each other." Turk later reflected.
Under the MGR Notice of Race, this tow is "Outside Assistance" not allowed in the rules. After all the facts are known a penalty will be assessed. Argo will receive time compensation.
Into the blue: the Gulf of Panama's trials
For three glorious days, the fleet surged southwest reaching on 10-15 knot breezes, aided by a generous 2-3 knot current from behind. Speeds of 7-8 knots had skippers dreaming of record passages to the Marquesas. But the Pacific had other plans.
In the predeparture briefing, organiser Don McIntyre warned entrants of high UFO sightings and floating trees and rubbish in the first weeks sailing out of Panama. The first reality check came in the form of massive floating logs - some measuring 13 meters long and 60cm in diameter seen by over half the fleet. Aussie Dan's IMMORTAL GAME became entangled with one, forcing him to drop his spinnaker and reverse off under power. Adam Waugh on LITTLE WREN filmed a log "at least as long as my boat" drifting ominously close, while Ertan Beskardes on TREKKA reported hitting similar logs twice in one day.
"They're like icebergs, mostly underwater and nearly invisible until you're on top of them." Beskardes noted.
Christian Sauer (#103 Argo / DE) suffered the worst damage with a hard hit that took paint off the keel and hull after stopping the boat completely.
Wildlife encounters provided spectacular distractions. Waugh had a whale surface 20 meters off his beam - "twice as long as LITTLE WREN" - while boobies (the avian variety) took up residence on virtually the entire fleet, Bowsprits and solar panels the favoured roost! Renaud Stitelmann on Capucinette documented the birds roosting on his square-top mainsail and pushpit, utterly unfazed by sail changes.
"They'd just stare at me like I was the intruder, PILOT whales were common and dolphins plenty, with the occasional turtle thrown in! " Renaud laughed.
Nighttime brought regular spectacular lightning displays that both awed and terrified the fleet. Keri Harris (#47 ORIGAMI / UK) posted a haunting video of storms illuminating the horizon.
"It's beautiful until you remember you're the tallest thing for miles, that's when you start calculating the odds. " Harris admitted.
Doldrums Doldrums: the great windless wasteland
By April 1st, the fleet's rapid progress stalled as they entered the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The Doldrums - that infamous belt of fickle winds and soul-crushing calms - stifling 40 degree heat and high humidity stretched wider than anticipated, with the southeast trades retreating to 5 degreesS latitude.
The tracker became a surreal display of drifting yachts, some actually moving backward in contrary currents. Jasmine Harrison on NUMBATOU reported drifting 20 miles north in 24 hours.
"I'd wake up to find us facing Panama again, it was like some cosmic joke." Jasmine said.
Daily runs plummeted from 120-mile days to 20 miles or less, even negative values and often in the complete wrong directions due to currents. Sail changes became constant as skippers chased every zephyr.
"I've tried every sail combination imaginable, the minute I get settled, the wind shifts and it's back on deck. " Harrison lamented.
Renaud Stitelmann proved the master of light-air sailing, his Hydrovane somehow steering CAPUCINETTE in just 3 knots of wind. Others weren't so lucky. Aussie Dan reported hand-steering for hours and drifting for days!
"The Hydrovane needs at least 5 knots to work properly. Below that, it's you, the tiller, and your sanity. " Aussie Dan said.
Equator crossing: Neptune's court convenes
The fleet's passage across the equator provided much-needed comic relief. Ceremonies ranged from solemn to absurd:
Jakub Ziemkiewicz on BIBI was formally initiated by "King Neptune" (a cormorant perched on his solar panel) and renamed Anarhichas lupus (Atlantic wolffish) by his daughter.
"She said it was perfect because they're both ugly." Jakub chuckled, sharing a video of the ceremony featuring his stuffed bear crew.
Aussie Dan Turner's celebration went viral when he posted an equator-crossing naked photo featuring a LARGE strategic "eggplant clip art" placement with followers doubting the reason for such a big eggplant?!
"King Neptune was merciful, but the next day brought headwinds as punishment for something." Dan Turner said.
Josh Kali on SKOOKUM celebrated by wearing his USED underwear on his head. " Mountains are colder, here, you just embrace the sweat. " Josh, the former mountaineer quipped.
Breakouts and breakdowns: the southern hemisphere shuffle
As Week 2 progressed, the fleet began escaping the Doldrums' grip - but not without cost. Christian Sauer on ARGO developed a severe skin infection on hands, knees and body that forced an emergency 24hr stop in the Galapagos for extra drugs after talking to MSOS.org.uk the Race 24hr Telemedicine team.
"The antibiotics are working, but kneeling in a 19-foot boat is pure agony right now. " Christian reported after treatment.
Gary Swindail's gamble on a northern route above the Galapagos with "QUESTION 2: initially paid off with fast sailing, only to see currents drag him northwest toward Hawaii. " I'm not panicking yet." Gary insisted.
Though his tracker told a different story and looked like wind holes forecast that may make it challenging to get down to the SE Trades.
Many entrants are challenged with the 200 watt solar and 200amp Hr of battery restrictions for the Globe 580's. Flat batteries are not uncommon!
"The restrictions are there to make sure none rely on their electronics...The 580 is designed to sail under windvane and be simple and reliable. Most of the small electric tiller pilots are failing already. Some have a lot of electrical draw with big screens and STARLINK MINI is a game changer, BUT so they must manage their electrical "Ins & Outs" carefully which is part of the game. In the doldrums there were plenty of clouds and some were using their electric outboards tactically, allowed under the NOR." - Don McIntyre, Race Director and ALMA Globe 580 founder.
Keri Harris (#47 ORIGAMI / UK) has staged an impressive comeback after his 12 hour late start, climbing to third place through a combination of smart routing and relentless boat speed. His jury-rigged spreaders - shimmed with Antiguan and Canadian coins - held firm as ORIGAMI consistently matched larger yachts' speeds. He lost a halyard at one point, decided to climb the mast while sailing at three kts with full main, but as he passed the spreaders, the little Globe 580 started to capsize with his weight and he had scrambled down fast!!!
Life at the extreme: the human factor
Beyond the sailing, the psychological and physical 19ft/5.8mtr plywood box challenges revealed the competitors' remarkable adaptability:
- Water rationing for a 45 day passage became critical for some, with daily consumption carefully monitored. Aussie Dan admitted to drinking 5 liters daily initially before tightening discipline. "When you're sweating just sitting still, hydration is everything."
Fortunately there was plenty of rain to catch in the last doldrum days.
- Sleep deprivation reached new levels as skippers hand-steered through calms. Jasmine Harrison took to napping in her cockpit seat, "One hand on the tiller, opening an eye occasionally to check the compass."
- Culinary creativity flourished but many are bored with their food already. Ertan Beskardes perfected raw fish preparations, while Josh Kali maintained a strict routine of cooking one proper meal daily. "It's about keeping some normalcy." Josh explained. Fresh food was running out and still four to five weeks to go!
- Mental health strategies varied from Josh's disciplined schedule to Keri's philosophical embrace of the challenge. "The Doldrums aren't punishment - they're an opportunity to really learn your boat."
For others? Well they are questioning WHY! And some have been quite down at times. But all agree, so far the Pacific has been an amazing experience and they are all living the dream on the boat they built to do just this!
The road ahead: trade wind promises
As the frontrunners finally taste the southeast trades, tactical decisions loom large. Renaud's CAPUCINETTE leads the tradewind charge west along the 5th parallel, consistently posting 135-mile days. Since Panama the fleet has averaged 95miles a day, really excellent for this part of the world. But the Pacific has more tricks up its sleeve:
- The ITCZ's southern edge remains unstable, with potential wind holes west of the fleet's current position
- The long passage to the Marquesas (still 2,800+ miles for some) and an eight day pitstop, will test equipment and endurance with another 3000 miles to FIJI after that...
- The psychological challenge of sustained isolation begins to weigh heavily.
Yet for all the hardships, the magic of Pacific sailing shines through. Jakub Ziemkiewicz (#185 BIBI / IE) described a simple swim in the deep ocean - a lifelong dream fulfilled with Adam Waugh standing radio watch 12 miles away. Keri Harris shares stunning footage of bioluminescent dolphins at night. Christian on ARGO swam with hundreds of colourful fish under his keel and a pack of eight Oceanic Whitetip sharks, not realising their fearsome reputation. Every skipper speaks of sunrises and sunsets that defy description. Life is WOW for this intrepid group of solo ocean racing marvels. As the Mini Globe Race fleet presses westward, their tiny yachts mere specks on the vast Pacific canvas, one truth becomes clear: this is sailing in its purest, most challenging form. The ocean will decide who triumphs, who struggles, and what lessons each competitor will carry forward. Just two weeks down on this second leg, three to four weeks to Marquesas - so the greatest test is yet to come and the finish line is 11 months away!! Another 11 months of truly living!
The McIntyre Mini Globe Race is a world first event and has never been attempted by Mini Ocean racers. The course around the world celebrates the 75th Anniversary and follows in the footsteps of John Guzzwell, who in 1955 set off in his home built 20ft timber yacht TREKKA to become the first ever "Mini Yacht" to sail around the world.