I stumbled across an interesting video on YouTube the other day.
It’s a feature length movie about the construction of a Globe 5.80 yacht and its builder Keith Olivers subsequent participation in the 2023/24 Globe 5.80 Transatlantic race.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2494f7f-cf20-4849-9c83-87efa21be219_630x354.heic)
I confess to not being a yacht racing enthusiast. It was the self-build aspect that drew me in.
Keith, the hero of this story, faced many challenges building ‘Meraki’. He started in a temporary shelter in his garden and finished in a nice big weatherproof barn. He reckoned some 500 hours of work would be needed. I suspect he ran over somewhat.
His references to hours of sanding and the difficulty of applying fibreglass and epoxy to the hulls brought back many memories of my experiences building ‘Gleda’ my 38ft (ca. 12 m) Wharram Tiki 38.
That project took me over 4000 hours spread over nearly 6 years. The Tiki 38 is a catamaran — in reality, I had to build two boats. My workplace was a leaky, far from weatherproof barn smack bang in the middle of England. Let’s just say that the weather didn’t help me!
If you’re at all interested in my own build perhaps you’d like to check out my book on Amazon.
I’m not boasting, and I’m not taking anything away from Keiths achievement. I tip my hat to anyone who builds and then sails their boat.
Arthur Ransome summed it up best in his book ‘Racundra’s First Cruise’
“The desire to build a boat is one of those that cannot be resisted. It begins as a little cloud on a serene horizon. It ends by covering the whole sky so that you can think of nothing else. You must build to regain your freedom. And always you comfort yourself that yours will be the perfect boat, the boat you may search the harbours of the world for and not find.”
I’d describe it less poetically. It’s insanity. Productive insanity for sure, but insanity nonetheless.
If anyone ever says to me, “I’m thinking of building a boat” I’ll do my damndest to dissuade them. “If you want to go sailing just buy a boat and go” I’ll say. I can do that knowing that if they take my advice they’d never have finished building anyway. As Mr Ransome said, “the desire cannot be resisted” and that means ignoring all and any ‘sensible’ advice.
Anyway, back to ‘Meraki’.
Having watched the movie, I did a bit of research on the Transat 5.80 and uncovered this.
History and Concept
The Globe 5.80 Transat was initiated as a modern iteration of the original Mini Transat, which began in 1977. The Mini Transat was created to allow ordinary sailors to participate in solo ocean racing using small, affordable yachts. The Globe 5.80 class was established to return to this principle, emphasising simplicity and accessibility in yacht design. The first race took place in November 2021, starting from Portugal and covering a distance of approximately 3,600 miles (ca. 5,794 km) to the Caribbean.
Design and Construction
The Globe 5.80 yachts are primarily constructed from plywood, making them relatively easy and inexpensive to build. Designed by Janusz Maderski and conceived by Don McIntyre, these boats are intended for solo or two-handed sailing and can be transported easily in a standard shipping container. The construction process can be completed by individuals with basic tools and skills, allowing for a broad range of participants to engage in the sport.
The next race starts on December 28th 2024 in Lagos, Portugal. But there’s some added excitement this time around. The trans-Atlantic leg will also be a qualifier for a global race leaving from Antigua in 2025.
I’d highly recommend watching ‘Meraki’. It’s 1hr 20 mins of well-produced, high quality entertainment.
Links for more info
https://globe580transat.com/the-race/
https://www.fyneboatkits.co.uk/kits/sailing/class-globe-580/
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