How 19ft boats and gear survived after sailing 12,000 miles

For decades practical boat owners have built yachts in their gardens and gone on to sail them safely offshore, and many of the skippers in the 2025-25 Mini Globe Race are following in their footsteps. So far, 13 of the entrants have now sailed their Globe 5.80s across the Atlantic and almost halfway across the Pacific Ocean, but how have these plywood 19ft boats stood up to the rigours of racing offshore?

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During the race's layover in Fiji, I caught up with some of the skippers who were busy replacing standing rigging, renewing antifouling, power-washing, repainting the inside to deal with mould after weeks of sailing in damp Pacific air, and making more handholds for safety, in preparation for Leg 3, from Fiji to Cape Town.

Performance

Most skippers were impressed by the design of the hull and the rig, and were positive about the boats' performance, praising their seaworthiness.

"80% of the first two legs were downwind sailing, and 90% aft of the beam", explained Adam Waugh, who built his boat Little Wren in his barn in Northumberland. "In 17 knots of wind, we can do over six knots-good for a 19ft boat! - and did over 125 miles per day, except through the Doldrums and dealing with the headwinds from Tonga to Fiji."

Many of the boats are very light and beamy compared with their length. Keri Harris aboard Origami was knocked down "to a capsize position" off Colombia in Leg 1, which flooded his boat with 600lt of water (it filled the interior to the level of the bunks, which he bailed out with a bucket), destroyed two solar panels and damaged electronics. He later said that it can be hard to keep the boat on a straight course in heavy weather, and controlling the yaw can be difficult as every wave potentially changes the boat's position.

American Joshua Kali built Skookum, favouring heaviness and endurance for safety, rather than building a lighter boat for speed. At 1.25 tons, the boat needs a good blow of 15-20 knots for speed, but can carry more sails and keep a straighter course.