ALMA Class Globe 580 – Breaking all the Rules?

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

Circumnavigating the globe is the unattainable dream for most sailors, while solo racing around the world is considered extreme at best and too expensive for most? That assumption has now been turned upside down.

The ALMA Globe 580 is breaking all the rules previously considered "normal". Sailors no longer need big money, big Boats or big Tech. That previously unattainable dream is now every sailor's opportunity!

John Blenkinsop's ALMA CG580 hull No. 100 preparing for the 2024 McIntyre Globe 580 Transat . The perfect liveaboard racing mini! He continued on in the 2025 MGR but retired to Australia short of funds to continue - photo © JJ / ALMA CG580

The rules have changed. 15 ordinary - sailors are proving the point right now racing solo around the world in the McIntyre Mini Globe Race! YES, the Globe 580 is a proven safe ocean racing yacht, but also fun around the bay, or at the club and a proven mini live aboard cruiser! This new class is all about "Small boat, Huge Adventure".

Fleet racing in one design ALMA Globe 580's is very competitive, but some are after adventure and happy to enjoy the ride while others are after the win! “Small Boat-Huge Adventure!” - photo © JJ / ALMA CG580

The game changer is the ALMA Class Globe 580, a "one design "ocean racing mini yacht. It's plywood, home built, basic 1960's construction, even dummies can build in the family garage. It's small, just 19ft or 5.8mtrs that can tow behind the family car and take the kids sailing on Sunday or hold your breath and race solo around the world or across the Atlantic starting Monday! Sounds crazy huh!...well it is,,,and it isn't! Not any more anyway. Here's why!

The History!

Don McIntyre is an Australian Adventurer who believes in small boats. In 2010 he had an idea for a solo ocean race in simple, affordable, self-built plywood yachts that fit into a 20ft container. At the time he was sailing across the Pacific in a 24ft open whale boat, recreating William Bligh's "Mutiny on the Bounty" 4000-mile open boat voyage of survival with 18 men after being ejected by Fletcher Christian. Bligh survived and so did McIntyre, but only just! Story here.

Nine years later in Les Sables d'Olonne France the 50th Anniversary Edition of the 1968 Golden Globe Race had just ended. McIntyre's was behind that unique idea and now the time was right for that little boat. Six months later at the 2020 BOOT International Boat Show he announced a whole new sailing concept. A self-built plywood Mini that would race solo around the world! That shocked sailors and stunned all non-sailors. Impossible? No way! You are what? You gotta be kidding...! But McIntyre wasn't...Slowly there was a quiet undercurrent of.. "Ok tell me more"

With a smile McIntyre accepted "The Mad Bastard" title on Sailing Anarchy Forums for the launch of the most ambitious and audacious Solo Around the World Yacht Race ever and a very professional one-design Mini. The boat is designed by small boat specialist Janusz Maderski in POLAND. The design brief was specific. Look good, simple, strong, easily built, big but container fit, safe and fun yacht for the masses? Well at least for adventurous dreamers! As McIntyre departed BOOT that year, Covid appeared and the world started to shut down. Euro 300 Globe 580 building plan sales shot up. Sailors and dreamers started building.

Simple strong building from Euro 350 plans or a pre-cut CNC kit. First time builders who have never used tools before are building fantastic boats they are proud of in their backyards! - photo © ALMA CG580

Present Day

Head to BOOT Düsseldorf Boat show today and check out a Globe 580, talk to the builders and race entrants. Follow the MiniGlobeRace.com sailing to Recife after 24,000 miles solo and watch life defining and life changing moments real time.

The ALMA Class Globe 5.80 Germany National Association is on display at the Boot Düsseldorf right now - photo © Tobias Meinel

120 builders are already proving anyone can build a 580 and sail around the world or around the bay. She is small, so the build project is significant, but not impossible. Most take one or two years to build at home. The budget to make the start line of the 2021 Globe 580 Transat was Euro 31,000 including everything .. In 2026 Transat it will be about Euro 45-50,000. If you want to buy an existing Globe 580, budget about Euro 45-55,000. There are eight for sale from MARCH 2026 at the end of the Mini Globe Race. Listed here.

Voyages

23 successful solo transatlantic voyages and fun close racing. 15 entrants in the first 2025 McIntyre Mini Globe Race. Up to 12-15 Entrants expected in the 2026 Globe 580 Transat. 22 Entrants expected in the 2028 Globe 580 Transat and 15-20 Entrants expected in the 2029 McIntyre Mini Globe Race.

At the National Sailing Academy, Antigua – the CG580 family cheering on the 15 skippers who had just completed the McIntyre Globe 580 Transat (or the tough qualifier passage) and were about to start the 2025 Mini Globe Race - photo © Don McIntyre / ALMA CG580

Statistics courtesy of 580 Designer Janusz Maderski.

Mini Globe Transat 2021

• 2021. Etienne Messikommer, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Numbatou"
• 2021. Michal Krysta, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Menawan"
• 2021. Don McIntyre, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Trekka"
• 2021. Jim Schofield, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Karaiby, Globe 5.80 "Molly Clare"
• 2021. Peter Kenyon, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Origami"

Mini Globe Transat 2023

• 2023. Michael Moyer, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Sunbear"
• 2023. Jack Johnson, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Right Now"
• 2023. Keith Oliver, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Meraki"
• 2023. Ertan Beskardes, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Trekka

Mini Globe Transat 2024

• 2024. Renaud Stitelmann, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Capucinette"
• 2024. Keri Harris, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Origami"
• 2024. Niels Kamphuis, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Biggest Monkey"
• 2024. Dan Turk, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Little Bea"
• 2024. Pilar Pasanau, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Peter Punk"
• 2024. John Blenkinsop, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Delja100"
• 2024. Daniel Turner, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Immortal Game"
• 2024. Christian Sauer, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Argo"
• 2024. Adam Waugh, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Little Wren"
• 2024. Jakub Ziemkiewicz, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Bibi"
• 2024. Mike Blenkinsop,Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Delja99"
• 2024. Jasmine Harrison, Lagos Portugalia - Lanzarote - Antigua, Globe 5.80 "Numbatou"
• 2023. Dan Turk, Halifax Nowa Szkocja Kanada – Horta, Azory – Portimao Portugalia, Globe 5.80 "Little Bea"