It may sound a bit like an early April Fool's joke, but the Australian circumnavigator and sailing adventure enthusiast Don McIntyre can certainly trust projects like this: As he announced on Monday, he wants to create a new boat class, the Class Mini 5.80. With this new type of boat, a 5.80 meter short self-made boat made of plywood, ocean regattas are to be sailed on the Atlantic and even around the world in the future. As early as autumn 2021, parallel to the Mini-Transat, it should cross the Atlantic, and three years later even around the world.
Big plans for small boats
Don McInytre sailed solo around the world himself in the BOC Challenge 1990/91. Today he organizes retro regattas
With the initiative McIntyre wants to make "big adventures on small boats" possible and above all affordable. A construction plan should cost about 300 euros, the boat should be quick and easy to build due to the simple plywood construction.
"I love small boats for their simplicity and sheer adventure," says McIntyre. "But I have no idea if sailors will be excited about this new development. I definitely am. We hope that boats will be built all over the world and when that happens we will support national associations and local races!""
Photo gallery: Plans for the ClassMini 5.80
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holmi! Mini 5.80
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Membership in the new Class Mini 5.80 will be mandatory for every do-it-yourself builder and should cost 35 euros per year.
Back to minimalism
With his idea, the Australian picks up on the original idea of the Mini-Transat, that legendary regatt across the Atlantic, in which around 80 one-hand tippers sail across the Atlantic every two years, largely without contact with the outside world.