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Yachting World

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Don McIntyre the adventurer who launched retro-round the world racing

• Helen Fretter
• February 7, 2024

The creator of the ‘retro’ Golden Globe and Ocean Globe Races has experienced more adventures in one lifetime than most could dream of, as Helen Fretter reports

Don McIntyre is on relaxed form when he calls from Les Sables d’Olonne. His current flock of round the world racers are swooping south on the second leg of the Ocean Globe Race, McIntyre’s 50th anniversary homage to the Whitbread Around the World Race. Conditions were good, and the crews had been revelling in their first taste of Southern Ocean swells. It’s a lifelong ambition made real for those who dreamt of taking part in the original iconic races.

The Ocean Globe Race (OGR) is also something of an apotheosis of McIntyre’s 50-year career. His life story is all about creating adventures, but this is an adventure made accessible. It’s something that ‘normal’ people could do. Don McIntyre sees that as the reason so many sailors – 160 crew in the OGR so far, 24 solo skippers in two editions of the Golden Globe Race (GGR) – have signed up for his new breed of ocean races.

“I consider myself to be very normal. Some people think I’m an arsehole, others will think I’m a genius, but I’m very normal. So if it’s something that I’d like to do, I’m sure there are other people that want to do it too,” he muses.

But though McIntyre might see himself as an everyman, he has not lived a ‘normal’ life. Racing solo around the world is enough isolation for most, but Don followed it up by deliberately stranding himself on Antarctica for a year. His stories are peppered with sentences like “And then I learnt how to fly a helicopter”, or “We had some pirate interaction – so I got off the boat and instead took up rally car racing.”

It’s a delivery that will be familiar to followers of his daily race video updates – genial, with a slightly homespun air that’s at odds with the slick production values of most sailing events today. But these adventures are serious business – and Don’s formula of back-to-basics retro ocean races has hit on something that has a surprisingly wide appeal.

Don McIntyre on board Sponsor Wanted in January 1991 during the BOC Challenge. Photo: Stuart Davidson/Fairfax Media/Getty

Outward bound

Don McIntyre was born in Adelaide, Australia, in 1955 and began developing expedition skills from his earliest years. “We used to go on holiday to a place called Aldinga Beach,” he recalls. “I was always in the water. I was either fishing, or I’d make my own hand spears, or I’d go rabbit trapping. I’d do all sorts of things, but the water was a constant.

“I started surfing when I was about 12 or 13 – I had a 9ft longboard. My sailing was off the beach, I had a Heron dinghy and some catamarans . Then I saw a movie called Crystal Voyager , which was about three guys who fitted out a 36-footer and went sailing-surfing. I’d also been influenced by Chichester with his stop-off in Sydney.

“By 18, I’d started building my first boat, which was a replica of Suhaili , because Robin Knox-Johnston was one of my three heroes. The other was Jacques Cousteau, and the third was a guy called Tom Neale, who was a dropout on an island in the Pacific. His autobiography An Island to Oneself was the first book I ever read cover to cover at high school, because I was dyslexic and I didn’t read a lot.

“Those things all had a profound impact, which I didn’t realise really until probably 30 years later.”

Article continues below…

McIntyre was brimful of inspiration – and had become a certified celestial navigator aged 18 – but his plans needed refining. “The replica of Suhaili was too big, so I swapped it down for a 29-footer. And then I realised you can’t go sailing-surfing easily because you’ve got to anchor somewhere and the surf is where there are no anchorages. So instead I decided to set out into the Pacific and that’s how it all began. I built my little Duncanson 29, and set off on a three-year trip, where I did my first single-handed sailing .”

Having left Adelaide in 1978, sailing to Sydney, through the Great Barrier Reef and out to the Pacific islands and back, McIntyre found himself anchored in Apollo Bay, southern Australia, at the same time as David Scott Cowper . Scott Cowper was on his way to beating Chichester’s solo circumnavigation time on his 41ft S&S Ocean Bound . “He’d come in because he had a problem with his wind vane, and I got to know him. We became good friends.”

Relaxing after completing the Australian leg of the BOC. Photo: Stuart Davidson/Fairfax Media/Getty

After helping Scott Cowper fix Ocean Bound , McIntyre became the Australian agent for Aries wind vanes, and travelled to Sydney to service yachts competing in the 1982 BOC Challenge (later the Around Alone/Velux 5 Oceans). “I’d been cruising for three years, and didn’t even know the BOC was on,” he recalls. “I put all the wind vanes in my little Triumph TR7 sports car, drove from Adelaide to Sydney, and there was Philippe Jeantot, Bertie Reed, Guy Bernadin… I was like, ‘Whoa!’”

McIntyre immediately decided that he wanted to compete in the 1986 BOC race, and – after considering borrowing Ocean Bound – later set out to build his own aluminium 50-footer for the race. He now had a plan, and the means to make it happen.

“We learned very early on about how to make some money, and one of those was selling things. When I built my first boat, I was importing stuff all the time. And when I wanted all the gear for the BOC you couldn’t buy it in Australia, you could only buy rubbish.

“So, effectively, I just started bringing in equipment that I needed and instead of bringing in one for me, I’d bring in five or six and sell them. Very quickly I had a very viable marine equipment importing business that doubled its turnover every six months.”

Rig checks during a 1990 BOC Challenge stopover. Photo: Tim Clayton/Fairfax Media/Getty

In the news

McIntyre realised Australia wasn’t just lacking a supply chain. “Short-handed sailing was just about illegal in Australia at the time, it was so frowned upon. And I thought, I’d better start a short-handed sailing association.” He invited Robin Knox-Johnston to be patron.

Due to a lack of funds and time, there was no way McIntyre’s was going to be ready to compete in the ’86 BOC. Instead, in the interim, as chair of the Australian short-handed sailing association he organised a new race, the Goodman Fielder Wattie Bicentennial Around Australia Yacht Race, in 1988. First home was Peter Blake in the 60ft trimaran Steinlager , having overcome horrendous conditions that included 9m waves and 50-knot winds. But the race was marred by the death of a competitor who was lost overboard.

During the search and rescue operation, a police boat sank, and the Australian police commissioner was swift to condemn McIntyre’s race management. It led to a lengthy and highly public defamation trial, even after the coroner’s inquest placed no blame on the organisers.

Having sailed past Antarctica in the BOC Challenge, McIntyre went back to explore it in 1993. Photo: Wade Fairly

In the end, McIntyre won. But when the French sailing federation, the FFV, initially criticised the Golden Globe Race as a ‘totally unconscious and dangerous challenge’, it hit a sore nerve with McIntyre, who posted a lengthy rebuttal online. (It was later established that the event would not be run under FFV jurisdiction and, according to McIntyre, the French maritime authorities went on to praise the safety and security aspects in the GGR Notice of Race as the best of any sailing event in France).

Around alone

McIntyre finally got his solo ocean racing adventure in 1990, when he took part in the BOC Challenge, setting off without a sponsor, and around $300,000 of debt (a backer was signed part-way through the race).

He finished 2nd in class despite several knockdowns, being fully rolled, and finishing with a broken forestay. “I wasn’t a racer, I was a compass and knife man. But it wasn’t about the racing for me, it was a voyaging and challenge and adventure thing. I’ve never done a Sydney Hobart , even today, it just doesn’t appeal to me.”

McIntyre returned with yet more adventurous dreams in his head. One was to sail non-stop around the world. “The BOC was great, but it had four stopovers. I always thought I just really wanted to put myself up against Robin, not as a competition, but just to go through what he did.

McIntyre and his then wife, Margie, lived for a year in this cabin at Antarcica’s Cape Denison. Photo: McIntyre Adventure

“It was a very attractive concept, building a Suhaili replica in timber and doing what he did. That was the lead-in to how the GGR started.”

The other was inspired by David Lewis and his Antarctic voyages on Icebird . “When I did the BOC we were going around Antarctica, it’s literally just over there on the right! I had a Southern Ocean-capable boat that could take on anything. So when the BOC was finished, it seemed natural to go to Antarctica at last.”

Sailing into Cape Denison in 1993, McIntyre and crew were astonished to find the shelters built by pioneering Australian explorer Douglas Mawson during a 1911 expedition to the South Pole still standing.

“I was looking at Mawson’s Hut, which is where all the boys lived for a couple of years and thinking, this is unbelievable, you could come here and live here.”

Incredibly, he and his then wife Margie did, sailing back to Cape Denison in 1995 with building materials, tools and provisions for two years in an expedition called Together Alone. They built a tiny 2.4m x 3.6m shelter, chained to the rocks just 40m from Mawson’s Hut, and equipped it with solar panels, a generator, and basic furnishings.

And there they lived, entirely unsupported and without human contact, for a year-long experiment including a full Antarctic winter. (The expedition is the subject of a compelling documentary film, see the McIntyre Adventure YouTube channel ).

Round Australia gyrocopter record. Photo: McIntyre Adventure

The project demonstrated a familiar characteristic of Don’s: his ability to not only think up an outlandish idea, but see it through, even without financial backing.

“Most people don’t stop and think about whether they really want to do it. But for me, there’s a lot of joy planning these expeditions. The planning and preparation is often more enjoyable than the execution.

“I knew how to do it and I believed we could do it and we did. It cost us about AUD$800,000 to do that trip, to get the boat set up, build the box, get it down there. It was like a military operation, but it was fantastic fun. It was very special because it was unique.”

Ice and tropics

After the Together Alone expedition, he and Margie returned to Antarctica to attempt a 70km trek to Madigans Nunatak, a rocky outcrop discovered by Mawson’s team in 1912. They also spent time surveying the Great Barrier Reef.

Next McIntyre bought a 36m ice expedition ship. “That was my Jacques Cousteau dream. I ended up with a ship that was better than Calypso . It was fantastic, called Sir Hubert Wilkins . I had exactly the same helicopter and I was flying that. We had all the dive gear, we had a five-man recompression chamber. And we had four years of just crazy stuff.”

Exploration ship Sir Hubert Wilkins. Photo: McIntyre Adventure

They spent several seasons surveying areas of Antarctica, supporting expeditions and conservation teams, before taking on a private charter ‘treasure hunting’ in the Philippines, in search of significant wreck sites. The search was unsuccessful, but caught the eye of a terrorist group who attempted to board the ship. Provisioning became high risk, with local militia harassing the crew whenever they stepped on land.

For a change of scene, Don and Margie took up rally car driving, buying a Peugeot 206 GTi and competing in some of Australia’s biggest road races. Next he set a record flying a single-seat gyrocopter to the furthest east, north, west and southernmost points of Australia, some 115 hours in the air. He became one of Jessica Watson ’s main backers, buying her S&S 34 Pink Lady and supporting her bid to become the youngest solo skipper to sail around the world in 2009.

In 2010 Don got back on the ocean, with an ambitious plan to recreate William Bligh’s epic voyage after being cast adrift during the mutiny on the HMS Bounty in 1789. Sailing with a crew of three (unlike Bligh’s 18 men) in an traditionally-built 7.3m open whale boat, the Talisker Bounty Boat , they covered nearly 4,000 miles from Tofua, Tonga, to Kupang in West Timor.

The voyage took McIntyre and crew 48 days, finishing within three hours of Bligh’s time, despite capsizes, near grounding on a reef, McIntyre twice developing kidney stones, and severe food and water shortages.

“A lot of people think I’m 68, but I’m really 28,” McIntyre jokes. “People say I’ve never really grown up because all of these things are basically like camping holidays. They’re just great things to do. I’ve always had a project, I want to wake up in the morning and have something to do. Otherwise you think, why wake up?

McIntyre recreated Captain William Bligh’s epic 4,000 mile ‘mutiny on the Bounty’ voyage in an open boat. Photo: David Pryce

“When you start dreaming about something long enough, you get to the stage where you have to do it because otherwise you’ll regret it. And that’s how most of the ideas form.”

Retro appeal

His longest held ambition – to recreate Knox-Johnston’s famous solo circumnavigation of 1968, finally came to fruition in 2018 – but not as he’d imagined it.

Initially McIntyre began planning an event that he wanted to take part in. “The original race had nine, so I was thinking there might be six, seven, or eight other people that might want to go,” he recalls. Instead, dozens of applications poured in. Three years before the start, the race had received 30 provisional entries and over 150 expressions of interest. “We created a monster and the popularity was going crazy,” recalls McIntyre, “So our first stop for a sponsor was obviously NewsCorp.”

Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp owned The Sunday Times, sponsors of the original 1968 race. Early conversations were initially positive and a delegation including McIntyre and Knox-Johnston went to present their proposal. “Without going into the fine details, by the time they walked out the door it was looking like nearly £5 million might have been possible,” McIntyre says. “But directly after that, NewsCorp announced a billion-dollar write down of their print properties.”

No title sponsorship was ever forthcoming, though the port of Les Sables d’Olonne stepped in to rescue the event.

McIntyre and his Talisker Bounty Boat crew. Photo: David Pryce

It also became clear that Don would be needed to stay ashore and run the show, with a small team including his current wife, Jane.

“I didn’t mind that. Running the race itself became my adventure. I got a lot of satisfaction out of it – we created something from nothing. Many people think that our first Golden Globe Race in 2018 was a disaster. We lost a few boats and lots of rigs and a lot of people believe it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened in sailing. But I didn’t look at it that way at all.”

“I was really proud of the first fleet,” he adds. “There was a really good mix of people.”

The outcome of the first revival Golden Globe Race is well documented: of 18 starters, just five finished, four skippers had to abandon their boats, five were dismasted. But it certainly didn’t put off would-be entrants, as four years later another 16 skippers set off to do it again. Enthusiasm for the race seems undimmed.

“I think there are many factors that contribute to the popularity of the Golden Globe Race,” last year’s winner Kirsten Neuschäfer explains. “One of the biggest, in my opinion, is Don’s emphasis on the ‘human story’. Because this is not sailing at its highest performance and technological level, instead, I think, it talks to people from all walks of life, of all age groups, and people who are not necessarily sailors. It transports them back to the true spirit of adventure.”

McIntyre is founder of the retro Golden Globe Race. Photo: MAXPPP/Alamy

Passion projects

The GGR had its fair share of critics, and the OGR has not been controversy-free either. “About a week before the start of the race, I had a letter signed by a group of entrants basically saying the race was dangerous and that they demanded satellite weather forecasting,” Don reveals. His response was the same as it has been to Golden Globe skippers demanding rule changes.

“The reality is that the entrants have signed on for this. This is what they want.

“I say to them all, if you’re feeling that way, I am telling you not to start. Just stay home.” The teams did start (after being requested to resign their liability forms), and the OGR rules have not been changed to allow satellite weather forecasting.

Start of the 2023 Ocean Globe Race. Photo: Tim Bishop/OGR

McIntyre certainly isn’t impervious to criticism, particularly when it comes to the safety of his events. “I’ve been facing uphill battles all my life, because what I do is not conventional.

“I’m not saying all our decisions are correct because they’re not. But we make those decisions based on very sound values. All our events have risk. We can never get rid of it. But that’s the attraction, the entrants are there because of the risk. Our role is to minimise that risk.”

There is no question that McIntyre cares deeply about the safety of his competitors.

“It’s very obvious that the GGR is not a job for him – it’s his passion,” Neuschäfer adds. “He is the one who bears the responsibility, the hopes, fears, anxieties and dreams that he shares with all the skippers, who he has in some way ‘sent’ out on their adventure.”

As for his own dream to sail in the wake of his hero Knox-Johnston, McIntyre says that dream has passed. On a transatlantic passage on his Globe 5.80 yacht he had ‘a huge revelation’ that he no longer wanted to sail around the world solo.

“I worked out why I do all this stuff. I finally had the answer. I do it to prove something to myself. And at that stage in my life, with the people around me, I didn’t have to prove anything to myself, not a thing. And you sort of think,” he says, becoming emotional, “that people and time are the most valuable commodity you have.”

Opening photo by Jan Kasl @jankaslphoto

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‘It’s all part of the fun’

Born in adelaide in 1955, don mcintyre has been adventuring all his life..

In 1993 the Australian Geographic Society awarded Don a silver medal for his ‘Spirit of Adventure’ shown during the ‘ Teddy Bears to Antarctica ‘ expedition.

Thirteen years later, in 2006, he and then wife Margie, were both awarded a gold medal, as the Australian Geographic Society’s ‘Adventurers of the Year’ (the youngest ever to receive it) for their year living ‘ Together Alone ‘ in a box, in Antarctica.

Finally, in 2012, the Australian Geographic Society, recognising his many diving expeditions over the years and his ongoing efforts to promote adventure, presented him with its highest accolade, a gold medal for a ‘Lifetime of Adventure’. This was only the 12th time it had been presented in the 25 year history of the society. The inscription on this ultimate gold medal simply read ‘For a life spent encouraging Adventure and Discovery’. Humbled to receive it, Don thanked Margie, past sponsors, Dick and Pip Smith, and then boldly declared that he was not yet retired!

In October 2014, Don received the prestigious ‘Emerald Award’ from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) in honour of a lifetime of adventures that have done much to raise awareness of the marine environment and the need to protect it.

Professional History

Starting his first business while at high school selling 'teddy bears', Don McIntyre turned down a scholarship to a fine arts degree and instead trained as a photo-lithographer and photographer.

Between adventures, he eventually moved to Sydney marrying Margie and so started their BOC efforts. In 1983 they started a marine equipment importing business that would fund his BOC Challenge ambitions. This moved on to building yachts up to 16.3m.

Following on from his first Antarctica sailing expedition in 1993, Don then started professional expeditions sailing to Antarctica and around the world. Operating his helicopter equipped Ice ship 'Sir Hubert Wilkins' was all consuming and his other business interests began to slow down leading to the decision to take up adventuring full time. Completing a successful subdivision development in Hobart opened new horizons and the construction of 'ICE' began in 2005.

In 2004, Don accepted a position with Orion Expedition Cruises as Antarctic consultant, establishing the entire Antarctic program for the company and then acting as expedition leader on all future Antarctic expeditions for the next 10 years. The ship was sold and he moved to Heritage Expeditions in NZ during Antarctic summers. He is an industry representative on Antarctic issues for the Australian Government and sits on various Antarctic committees.

Don is a sought after media commentator and writes a regular adventure column and occasional features for Australia and New Zealand's largest selling Boating magazine, 'Tradeaboat'.

Over the past 30 years, Don has written hundreds of magazine articles and one book, produced a few documentaries and appeared in hundreds of national television segments, including five appearances on '60 Minutes'. He is an accomplished public speaker, always well received by any audience. Don is writing two new books, 'Chasing Bligh' and 'What Next', with the 'Talisker Bounty Boat' documentary due for completion soon. Don was project manager for a 24m high latitude explorer trawler yacht built in China.

In late 2011, Don formed a new company 'Tonga Blue Ltd' which was to assist Tongans recover their lost maritime history and archaeological treasures. In 2015 that included establishing the Royal Nomuka Yacht Club and a Marine Discovery centre on the island of Nomuka IKI. Five years of effort and over $500,000 was wiped out completely in January 2022 with the Volcanic explosion and Tsunami that destroyed everything.

In 2015 the 2018 Golden Globe Race was launched. It was a huge success and is on again in 2022. The 2023 Ocean Globe Race was launched in 2019. That same year the Class Globe 5.80 plywood amateur built 'One Design Mini Class' was launched with 180 sets of plans sold by the end of 2021 and boats building in 26 countries around the world. The first ever 2024 Mini Globe Race was also announced. In Nov 2021 the first Globe 5.80 TRANSAT was held and Don won the Seniors Class sailing his 19ft 'TREKKA' solo 3600 miles across the Atlantic in 28 days.

Don McIntyre is recognised as one of Australia's major adventurers and explorers.

• 1973 Certified 'celestial navigator' with South Australian School of Navigation.
• 1983 Awarded Australian Yachting Federation 'Yachtmaster Offshore' and 'Yachtmaster Ocean' certificates.
• 1983 McIntyre Marine Services Pty Ltd, Marine equipment importers and boat builders established.
• 1983 Founded the Short Handed Sailing Association of Australia and became the organiser/underwriter of the 1988 Bicentennial Around Australia yacht race.
• 1991 2nd in Class BOC Challenge solo RTWR. Received BOC Communicators Award, Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron Youth Trophy, Middle Harbour Yacht Club Navigators Award.
• 1995 Received the Boating Industry of Australia's 'Robert Grieves' Achievement award.
• 1997 Ocean Frontiers Pty Ltd. takes over adventure activities from McIntyre Marine Services.
• 1997 McIntyre Marine Composites Pty Ltd. takes over boat building activities from McIntyre Marine Services.
• 1997 Appointed Ambassador of the AAP Mawson Hut's Foundation.
• 1998 Appointed ongoing 'Australia Day Ambassador' by Australia Day Council.
• 2000 Ran with the Olympic torch on the opening day of Sydney Olympics.
• 2003 Commenced two x three year terms, sitting on the Board of Directors of the 'Young Endeavour' sail training ship, operated by the Royal Australian Navy.
• 2004 McIntyre Marine Services business sold.
• 2005 McIntyre Marine Composites Pty Ltd shuts down.
• 2010 Talisker Bounty Boat Expedition, 4000 miles across the Pacific.
• 2011 Tonga Blue Ltd formed in Tonga for wreck hunting.
• 2015 Launched the 2018 Golden Globe Race. Launched the Royal Nomuka Yacht Club.
• 2017 World first solo Gyrocopter flight around Australia.
• 2019 Launched the 2023 Ocean Globe Race.
• 2020 Launched the Class Globe 5.80 Mini One design yacht and 2024 Mini Globe Race.
• 2021 Globe 5.80 Solo Transat winner of 'Seniors Class' - 3600 miles 28 days in 'TREKKA'
• 2022 Launched GLOBE YACHT CLUB.

Races & Events

Golden globe race.

In the spirit of the original 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. A journey back in time!

Ocean Globe Race

In the spirit of the original 1973 Whitebread Race. Celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Mini Globe Race

In the spirit of all 'mini yacht' circumnavigators, celebrating John Guzzwell and Trekka.

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Latest News: 2023 McIntyre Ocean Globe Prize giving!

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Sailing like the Whitbread

Many were surprised when we launched the 50th Anniversary edition of the original Golden Globe Race (GGR) back in June 2015. The world had never seen anything like it.

We organised it because I wanted to sail in it. There was nothing anywhere that allowed circumnavigating solo sailors to step back to the basic human challenge. I believed there were other sailors who wanted the same. The rest is history and it was a huge success. I thought of the idea in 2014 and at that same time I knew if the GGR was a success, I would launch the Ocean Globe Race. WHY?

The Ocean Globe Race (OGR) celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the original 1973 Whitbread Race. It will set sail from Europe on 10 September 2023. It’s a 27,000 odyssey around the globe in four legs, for all sailors, in yachts of the same era. For the first time in nearly 30 years, everyday sailors can realise one of the greatest dreams of sailing!

In 1988 I organised and managed the Bicentennial Around Australia Yacht Race. The late Sir Peter Bake entered with Mike Quilter in their 60ft trimaran Steinlager 1. They won the race and we became friends. Peter mentored me on aspects of event management, communications and sponsors. At the time he was building Steinlager II that went on to win every leg of the 1988/89 Whitbread. I was an ordinary sailor, but Peter made me believe I could mount a Whitbread campaign, offering advice and ideas. It failed, but I went on to do the Solo BOC Challenge in 1990/91.

I was then offered a skipper’s position on a Western Australian Whitbread campaign with Hugh Treharne as navigator and John Bertrand manager/coach. With just 2/3rds the budget secured by the deadline Hugh and I set, we pulled out. It was never made public, but it was a close-run dream. It was still possible back then. Only just! Then Volvo took over and it was left to the professionals and then the elite to race.  

For half my life I have been supporting and actively promoting adventure. Any adventure makes good people and inspiring others can be infectious. The time is right for a retro fully crewed race around the world. The Ocean Globe Race is fully underwritten by McIntyre Adventure, as was the Golden Globe Race.

How many will sign up? I have no idea! One thing is certain though! The passion of people to follow adventure sailing and challenge, based on human endeavor and extreme endurance is huge! The Golden Globe Race proved that. The OGR family will grow rapidly around the world just as it did for the GGR. Our research clearly shows that while the race for speed and flying with elite pilots is exciting, SLOWING DOWN and following heroes, brings out core human values and intense emotion that ordinary people, mums and dads relate to and understand. In this fast world we now live in, sometimes looking back, is the best way to move forward! The OGR delivers unique opportunities for everyone. We’re confident we will join with an exciting partner who believes the same. The Ocean Globe Race, like our sister event the GGR, is a cultural renascence borne of an understanding and admiration of those original wholesome values.

You just need to spend time looking at the historic YouTube videos of those first Whitbread  races to feel the raw human quality, the fun, the simplicity and drama of it all. They were key. Budgets and boats were the tools. The people were everything.

It is absolutely possible to bring much of that to life again. I miss it and maybe you do too! Maybe you will be happy to watch? Maybe you want to get out and do it. As much as I would give my right arm to do it, I know from experience that for now it is impossible. The passion and excitement for Jane and I is to make this OGR a success. Initial support is building already, and we are years from the start.

So good luck and we hope to hear from you. The Ocean Globe family is getting ready!

Don McIntyre OGR and GGR Founder

Don McIntyre OGR Chairman and Founder

Don McIntyre is the founder and underwriter of the goldengloberace.com the oceangloberace.com and the minigloberace.com . Follow him at mcintyreadventure.com .

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"Tradition and Excellence Since 1939"

The first official meeting was held in the Griffin Brothers' Boatshed at the Spit. Mr Dick Down, a life member and past Commodore of the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club, was invited to be President and Togo Middows became Secretary. George Griffin, a first-class boat builder, remained an active member of Middle Harbour until his death and was the subject of many stories regarding his legendary strength and sailing abilities. Nicknamed, "Gorilla", Griffin built the first registered club yacht, "Flying Cloud", which was owned by Togo Middows. Throughout the war years the club still conducted races and after the war Middle Harbour Yacht Club, as it had now become known, started to go from strength to strength.

In 1944, the club introduced Saturday racing in two divisions; A and B class yachts. The fleet was mainly small craft, and a yacht had to have a fixed keel to be eligible to race. By 1947, there were eight yachts in A Division and ten yachts in B Division. There were fifteen other yachts which did not race so the total fleet numbered 33.

On November 27, 1954 the first clubhouse was opened by the Mayor of Mosman. At the time, members had little idea that by the 1980s the club would grow larger than all the combined clubs of the time. Nor could they have foreseen the explosion in popularity that their beloved sport of sailing was about to experience.

The first off-shore race conducted by MHYC was a modest affair. On August 21, 1954 ten yachts crossed the starting line for a race to Newport on Pittwater. Despite light winds, forcing some of the fleet to motor to Pittwater, the race was won by "Pinta" who threw up a spinnaker after rounding Barrenjoey Headland and crossed the finish line at 0335 hours on August 22.

"Pinta" had started a new era for MHYC and it was not long before club yachts were making headlines. In 1956, "Siandra" became the first MHYC yacht to enter the Sydney-Hobart Race. It was to become one of the most famous yachts of the 50s. In 1958, "Siandra" with Graham Newland as skipper and Ron Swanson, Frank Likely, Pod O'Donnell and Peter Mounsey as crew won this blue-ribbon ocean event. A winning tradition had begun and the 1959 Sydney-Hobart Race saw seven MHYC yachts take part with four finishing in the top ten places.

In 1960, "Siandra" won the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's first Blue Water Championship. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, MHYC yachts and their crews took many racing honours with boats such as "Carmen", "Cavalier", "Cadence", "Moonbird" and "Janzoon II" all prominent winners. At the club's 25th anniversary a new race from Sydney to Brisbane was created to be a feeder for the Brisbane-Gladstone Race. Again, MHYC yachts were winners, with "Cadence" and "Carmen" coming 1st and 2nd in the inaugural event.

In 1969, famous yacht designer and builder, Ron Swanson, on "Sundowner", made MHYC proud by taking out the double of line and handicap honours in the Brisbane-Gladstone Race. In 1972, the race fleet was hit by a cyclone and only six yachts finished with Peter Hopwood's, "Harmony" battling on through incredible 112 mph winds to win!

In 1965, MHYC placed eleven members in the first Australian Admiral's Cup Team and internationally the club started to make its mark with many honours over forthcoming years going to names such as Ron Swanson, Doug Gilling, Hugh Treharne and Warren Johns.

Since the 1970's, MHYC members have continued to be top performers in all facets of sailing, whether it be the classic ocean races or the activities of the Centreboard Division, which was created in 1963.

With the success and continued growth of the club a new clubhouse became essential. In 1963 the club obtained the site of the old Spit Baths and it was on this perfect vantage point that a marina complex and the present clubhouse were eventually built.

During the 1970s MHYC benefitting from improvements including a new clubhouse, saw membership climb to the 2,000 mark for the first time. In fact, in 1976 membership was 2,197 compared to less than 1,000 in 1971; an amazing growth period. The 70s also saw the creation of a Cruising Division for the adventurous non-racing sailors and the "Sailing Birds" group was established to develop training programs to teach people how to sail. This tradition of excellence in training and safety programs has continued to be a feature of MHYC to this day.

1976 saw the inaugural Sydney-Suva Yacht Race started by the Governor General of the Day, Sir John Kerr. It was also mentioned in the Rear Commodore's report around this time that MHYC was conducting races on 170 days per year for over 200 entrants surpassing any other yacht club in Australia. The success of club members and their yachts during this period was legendary. It would be impossible here to list all the racing successes but in summary, MHYC representatives won practically everything on water including the Sydney to Mooloolaba Race, Brisbane to Gladstone Race, Dunhill Half Ton Cup, Ampol Tasman Trophy, South Solitary Island Race plus numerous State, National and World titles. In 1983, MHYC was the first club to welcome back the victorious Australia II crew, including club member Hugh Treharne, after they won the America's Cup.

During the 80s Twilight Races, The 3 Ports Race and the Philips Night Race all emerged as exciting MHYC activities. Despite the economic difficulties in the community during the 1980s MHYC, through the tremendous efforts of club members and volunteers, remained a progressive and viable organisation. MHYC emerged from the 80s a stronger outfit with the largest membership and yacht register of any yacht club in Australia. The club had established an excellent racing record, a comprehensive yearly calendar of first-class events, an enthusiastic Cruising Division, a tremendous junior membership program and first-rate training and safety schemes.

The 1990's saw a long financial struggle for MHYC, and the Club continue's today as a result of the resolve and contributions of its members. The Club now has no external debt. More importantly the Club was able to finance and construct a new 76 berth floating marina, which now forms the centrepiece of not only the Club's sailing activities but also its revenue stream. 

As a result of the Junior Sailing program held at MHYC during the 90's we developed a strong line up of Aussie Sailors. Culminating in the success of Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page in the 470 Class. Nathan and Malcolm won all before them, 4 World Championships, and finally Olympic Gold in Beijing in 2008. MHYC continues its junior racing activities to bring along more talented young Australian Sailors.

MHYC is the scene of year round sailing activity. The club boasts a comprehensive calendar of events that sees action on and off the water taking place virtually every day and evening of the year. This broad spectrum of events and activities offers participants at all levels and in all aspects of our sport the opportunity to experience and enjoy the many rewards sailing has to offer cradled in a unique atmosphere of spirit and camaraderie.

The History Continue's

Kermuba is one of the first entries in the Round Australia Yacht Race. Photo supplied.

First Entries in for Around Australia Yacht Race

I was told once that when two yachts are sailing in the same direction, then you have a race.  Based on that solid theory, WE HAVE A RACE.

Not long after posting the announcement that an Around Australia Yacht Race would take place in 2017, several enquiries came through.  Two have immediately turned into entries and they have one thing in common, both boats were actually built for an Around Australia Yacht Race.

The first entry was Tam Faragher's Kerumba.  Kerumba is a Kerr 50RC built in 2012.  It was a previous edition of the race that was planned that had Tam build the boat.  Unfortunately that event didn't take place as the complexity and cost for entrants escalated and made it totally unviable.  Tam has been campaigning Kerumba out of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron and has been quietly hoping another event would surface. Kerumba will be racing in the Pit Stop version meaning his crew will be able to make a tactical decision on when and where to pit around the country.  But one thing is certain, the race around Australia is a dream of Tam's and completing the course with his friends, whom he calls crew, will be a highlight for all.

Our second entry came in not long after.  Darren Drew's Top Gun is a bit older, yet was also built for an around Australia Yacht Race.  It was built in 1987 for the 1988 Bicentennial Around Australia Yacht Race, however never made it to the start line.  In 2010 it was picked up in Hong Kong by Gavin LeSuer who had competed in the 88 race on-board the 40ft Cat John West.  He bought it with the intention of entering it in the failed 2014 Around Australia Race.  When that race was called off, Darren bought the boat and has campaigned it on the east coast since.  So for this boat, it is third time lucky.

Darren will be joined by good mate Tim Shipton who is known as 'Iceman' on the boat for his cool head under pressure.  Top gun will be racing with a crew of 4, with the other two slots to be announced at a later date.  They will compete in the non-stop Multihull division, and Darren says it is all about the achievement of having raced around the country.  He has told his wife that he wants to do this as 'The Special Achievement in sailing in his life'.

So it seems that our vision to help people live their dreams is coming true.  This isn't just about racing for so many people.  This is a special dream that so few will ever achieve.  That is why we created this race, to create a very special event where finishing is victory in itself.  To say you've sailed around Australia, that is something to be proud of.  Dare to Dream.

– Ian Thomson, Race Director

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Ocean Race Around Australia race to go ahead in 2014

Click here for Back Issues of YBQ Magazine 

On the eve of the 25 th anniversary of the 1988 Bi-Centenary Around Australia Race (08/08/1988), Ocean Events is pleased to announce that the inaugural ‘Ocean Race Around Australia’ will go ahead in 2014.

Ocean Events invites mono and multihull boats from Australia and around the world to join the inaugural ‘Ocean Race Around Australia’.

The unique format for this ISAF Category 1 event includes four start/finish ports, making it easier for competitors entering what is expected to be the largest open-entry, fully crewed coastal ocean race in the world.

Competitors have the choice of the following start ports and times:

Fremantle, Western Australia - start early July, finish early October

Port Lincoln, South Australia - start mid-July, finish mid-October

Melbourne, Victoria - start, third week of July, finish late October

Sydney, NSW - start end of July, finish early November

The race, which will permit crew changes at its 10 stopover ports and is expected to take approximately 90 days, will also incorporate an existing east coast race and regattas in the Whitsunday Islands. And major prizes and trophies will be awarded in both monohull and multihull divisions.

Champion New Zealand sailor, the late Sir Peter Blake, won the challenging 90 day 1988 race, which was a resounding success for the event and sponsors.

With new technology and the advent of social media, not available in 1988, this race will have GPS, yacht tracking, mobile phones, the web, on-board cameras, all of which will help with media coverage and make the event a very attractive proposition for sponsors.

However, some things won’t change; the wind, waves, whale sightings – and the challenge.

To enter, and for further information on the Ocean Race Around Australia , please contact Bob Williams, email: [email protected] , or telephone +61 (0) 413057559.

View video at: http://youtu.be/1k2Oml5-IDM

All information: www.sailaroundaustralia.com.au or

www.facebook.com/AustraliaYachtClub

By ORAA media 

One stopover port on the Western Australia coastline, Dampier, will turn on an Australian-outback-experience for the sailors, friends, sponsors and attending media. This area of Australia is the home to Australia’s major mining and natural gas export facilities and some of the most ancient aboriginal rock-art in the world spread across the Dampier Archipelago.

Ocean Events is planning a ‘West Coast Media Tour’ along the entire Western Australia coastline to coincide with the race. National and international journalists and filmmakers will be taken on a 30-day coach excursion visiting places unique in the world.

Contact for event owner/promoter:

Robert Williams

Ocean Events Pty Ltd (ABN 83097516044)

PO Box 31 North Fremantle, Western Australia, 6159

+61 (0) 413057559

[email protected]

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Ocean Race Around Australia to go ahead in 2014

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• Newspapers & Gazettes
• The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) View title info
• Sun 9 Oct 1988 Prev issue Next issue Browse issues
• Page 14 Prev page Next page Browse pages
• Race yacht loses mast Prev article Next article Browse articles

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• Abstract MELBOURNE: Around Australia yacht race competitor Spirit of Cairns has been dismasted on the sixth leg from Adelaide to Hobart.
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The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Sun 9 Oct 1988, Page 14 - Race yacht loses mast

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