The Class Globe 5.80 Association and events will largely be driven by passionate volunteers and 5.80 family, including event entrants who will assist part of the organisation.
It will become a member-based organisation, supported by commercial partners and McIntyre Adventure as underwriter. If you, or your company, would like to become a sponsor of upcoming solo ocean races, or partner with the International Association, or sponsor Hull No. 01 (Trekka) sailed by Don McIntyre, please email jane@mcintyreadventure.com. We would love to start a conversation.
PARTNERS
We are very happy and excited to have PLASTIMO onboard with us, launching this new adventure and dynamic concept for all sailors – short course around the bay, offshore and trans ocean. PLASTIMO is a brand I have been using for over 45 years. Buy your plywood, glass, glues, mast and sails, then virtually everything else can be ordered from the comprehensive PLASTIMO EU catalogue. Prototype No 1 “TREKKA” will only use PLASTIMO supplied fittings from that catalogue, so follow the blog and fire your imagination. Thanks PLASTIMO for believeing in this project from day ONE!
TEAM 5.80
Don McIntyre
Don McIntyre is the founder and Race Chairman of the 2022 Golden Globe Race, 2023 Ocean Globe Race and the 2025 Mini Globe Race. All three round-the-world races are unique in the sailing industry, focusing on human values and real challenges to create inspiring stories. He is also founder of the new Class Globe 5.80 one design plywood mini ocean racing yacht. He has been organising sailing events and ocean adventures since 1984.
Don is an experienced circumnavigator and seen as one of Australia’s great explorers. In 2012, the Australian Geographic Society, recognising his many diverse 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 history of the Society. The inscription on it simply read ‘For a life spent encouraging Adventure and Discovery’.
In October 2014, he received the prestigious ‘Emerald Award’ from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS). The inscription read ‘In honor of a lifetime of adventures that have done much to raise awareness of the marine environment and the need to protect it’.
Passionate about all forms of adventure and inspiring others, the Ocean Globe Race and the Golden Globe Race were born from his desire to recreate the Golden Age of fully crewed and solo around-the-world racing. The Mini Globe Race is pure adventure. Don finished 2nd in class in the 1990-91 BOC Challenge solo around the world yacht race and twice attempted unsuccessfully to become involved with the Whitbread Race. (Other adventures at mcintyreadventure.com/adventures/).
Jane Zhou (Finance & Admin)
“Jane Jane” manages all financial affairs of Class Globe 5.80, OGR and GGR, all Facebook live feeds, assists with race photography and never stops smiling. She is a qualified charter skipper, whale swim guide, diver and Antarctic Zodiac driver who originally trained as an Air Traffic Controller. She met Don in 2005 as a project manager / Chinese interpreter on a boat building project from Zhuhai, China.
Aida Valceanu (Events/Public Relations)
Daughter of Romanian publisher, lover of France since always, literary journalist. Organiser of conferences, book fairs, correspondent of several Romanian magazines, cultural columnist at the French Huffington Post. Events and PR for the OGR, and a passionate volunteer for GGR.
Maria Laicova (Globe 5.80 Transat & MGR Assistant Race Director)
Maria joined the 5.80 family after supporting as a volunteer for the GGR launch in 2022.
A business consultant with 10+ years experience in large project management, marketing and strategy, she is truly inspired by 5.80 as an opportunity to help people turn their dreams and sailing adventures into reality.
Maria races with her friends in SB20 class and desperately loves long-distance sailing voyages, holds a Yachtmaster Ocean qualification and is especially interested in celestial navigation. In parallel to her sailing life she also takes care of baby seals in a marine mammals rehab centre.
Rob Havill – Digital Director
Rob has 20 years’ experience in managing creative and digital design projects. From branding to film production, his skills and interests are wide ranging.
Originally a graduate of engineering, he has captained his own design company since the early days of digital marketing.
Passionate about all things adventure!
Lutz Kohne (2021 Globe 5.80 Transat Race Director)
After a comfy landlubber student life in Frankfurt, 23-year-old Lutz moved on his ‘Little Olive’, a 34′ 1977 Contest – without ever having set a foot on a boat before. One year and 5,000 nm later, he has sailed from the Netherlands across the Bay of Biscay, sailed single-handed along the Portuguese coast and then crossed the Atlantic to St. Lucia – all while doing Skype interviews and securing a job as European area director and event planner for an international non-profit organisation in Berlin. His biggest goal is to sail solo and non-stop around the world.
