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McIntyre Mini Globe Race Qualifying Leg Is Underway

There are so many ways to race around the planet. On Saturday, December 28, a group of hopeful circumnavigators set off from southern Portugal in 19-ft homebuilt one-design plywood monohulls as part of the McIntyre Mini Globe Race. The initial leg from Portugal to Antigua serves as the qualifying event for competitors to race in the circumnavigation, starting and finishing in Antigua. With the successful completion of that leg, they will be accepted as entrants to the circumnavigation, which will sail westabout from Antigua through the Panama Canal and around the world via the classic trade-wind route.

The Mini Globe race travels the traditional Westward tradewinds route around the world.
The Mini Globe Race travels the traditional westward trade-winds route around the world.
© 2024 McIntyre Mini Globe Challenge

One of the 15 competitors hoping to qualify by sailing to Antigua from the US is West Coast sailor and mountain climber Joshua Kali, from the Pacific Northwest. He’s built his 19-ft one-design Skookum for the race over the past two years and will be sailing his qualifying leg from the East Coast to Antigua. All the boats competing are built in plywood from the same one-design kit.

After finishing building Skookum in the PNW, Josh towed his boat across the country to his starting point in North Carolina along this route. We’ve written about boats named Skookum in the past, but hadn’t zeroed in on its meaning. Apparently it’s a Pacific Northwest term of Chinook jargon meaning strong, powerful, reliable and dependable. Those are all good characteristics for a 19-ft world sailer!

Joshua aboard his 19-ft one-desgin, Skookum.
Joshua aboard his 19-ft one-design, Skookum.
© 2024 Josh Kali Ocean Racing

Once gathered in Antigua, the fleet will prepare for the start on Sunday, February 23, for what is expected to be an approximately 400-day circumnavigation sailed in four legs. We were reminded of the impending start by a comment from one of the race founders, Graham Cox, in our December 20 story about John Guzzwell. Also from the Pacific Northwest, Guzzwell inspired thousands of sailors after his circumnavigation aboard his 20-ft homebuilt boat Trekka. The McIntyre Mini Globe Challenge has recognized the recently deceased Guzzwell as the patron for the event.

Josh Kali shows off the beautifully finished, spacious interior that he'll call home for 400 days. As a mountaineer, he knows it has much more room than a tent.
Josh Kali shows off the beautifully finished, spacious interior that he’ll call home for 400 days. As a mountaineer, he knows it has much more room than a tent.
© 2024 Josh Kali Ocean Racing

The race will be a sharp contrast to the Vendée Globe with its 60-ft foiling IMOCAs going around the world below the southern capes. However, like the the Global Solo Challenge, where Cole Brauer took second place in her miraculous run around the planet, the Mini Globe Challenge will set a new group of adventurers on their way around the world in a dramatic challenge.

We took this screen grab of the race start posted on the Globe 5.80 Transat Facebook page. Make sure you have your volume on — the commentary is quite entertaining.

 

You can follow the McIntyre Mini Globe Challenge here.

For those following the Vendée Globe, after 50 days of racing, Charlie Dalin has retaken the lead from Yoann Richomme this morning, with just 12 miles currently separating the two. Follow along here.

Sailing

1 Comments

  1. Joshua Wheeler 1 month ago

    A race after my own heart.

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