Dan Turner: Mini Globe Race 2025 skipper

Katy Stickland

Since he was a child, Dan Turner has wanted to sail around the world. The Australian shares how he built his 19ft plywood boat and his preparations for his biggest challenge - the Mini Globe Race 2025

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Dan Turner was just six when he started racing dinghies and this fed his dreams of sailing offshore.

He grew up in the small town of Port Lincoln, South Australia, sailing Holdfast Trainers, 125s and Pacers, as well as with his father in their Farr B30.

At 17, Dan left school and joined the Australian Army as a combat engineer.

During his four years in the service, Dan Turner represented the Defence Force in various regattas in the Tasar Class.

Following the birth of his first daughter, Searrah, Dan Turner left the Army and returned to Port Lincoln, working with his uncle at Kemp Real Estate; the start of his career in the property industry.

Throughout this time, Dan continued sailing, racing keelboats and training young sailors before he moved to Adelaide for work. He then focused on other land-based goals including taking part in endurance events such as the Marathon Des Sables through the Sahara Desert, considered one of the toughest foot races on the planet.

But his childhood dreams – to solo circumnavigate the world, and race in the Sydney to Hobart and Melbourne to Osaka Races –  drew him back to the sea again.

Dan Turner working on his boat

Dan Turner began building Immortal Game in 2020; the final fit-out was in 2024 and the boat is now being shipped to Portugal for the start of the Globe 5.80 Transat in December 2024. Credit: Dan Turner

In 2018, he raced his Sayer 11, Team Runaway in the Melbourne to Osaka Race. He and co-skipper Tom Crabb came 4th.

To date, only the solo circumnavigation remains outstanding.

Before building his Globe 5.80, his only woodworking skills were from his Year 8 Tech class at school.

Immortal Game is hull number 5 and was built in the family’s carport. The boat’s name is based on a famous chess game where a player sacrifices all his major pieces early to position himself to win the game.

“This is not unlike what the family and I have been through,” said Dan Turner. “We have already sold our major assets off to attempt this goal of racing around the world.”

“I definitely owe everything to my wife for allowing me to undertake this crazy dream and without her and the family’s support, this definitely would not be happening. I also want to inspire my children and hope they can watch their Dad with pride and realise that everything they want in life is possible if they put their mind to it.”

Dan Turner can be followed at www.danturneradventure.com 

A Class Globe 5.80 boat sailing with yellow and white sails

Immortal Game is the first boat Dan Turner has ever built. Credit: Dan Turner

Why enter the Mini Globe Race 2025?

Dan Turner: When the Class Globe 5.80 and Mini Globe Race were first announced I had actually started looking into other challenges as I didn’t feel I would be able to afford any of the other events that were on offer at the time.

I also liked the idea of attempting to build a boat and given COVID-19 was just starting to kick off, it gave me a good project to keep me occupied whilst stuck at home. I just kept taking one step after the next with a dream of competing in mind until it started becoming a reality.

Are you looking to win or just complete the race?

Dan Turner: I would like to be competitive but ultimately the goal for me is finishing. I’m not sure ‘just’ fits into it though because I believe even completing this race would be a huge accomplishment.

How are you preparing yourself for the race?

Dan Turner: We have sold the family house, car and pretty much every other asset to provide the best opportunity to make this goal happen.

I’ve done a little offshore testing in the boat but unfortunately, it is nowhere near as much as I would have liked due to various reasons, one being that it is now in a container heading over to Europe for the start.

Other than that, I have really just spent a lot of time trying to set the boat up well and getting things ready for the race.

A Class Globe 5.80 sailing

To be as safe as possible, Dan Turner has led lines back to the cockpit and has swapped from a hanked jib to a furler. Credit: Dan Turner

You built Immortal Game. Was this the first boat you have built?

Dan Turner: It is pretty much the first of anything I have built. I didn’t even know how to use basic hand tools like a plane when I first started.

It has been a huge learning experience for me and extremely rewarding to prove to people that anything is possible if you are truly committed.

What were the highs and lows of the build?

Dan Turner: The highs were mainly the sense of achievement I had when completing each stage of the build.

My skills were growing weekly and to say that I have now built a boat is almost unbelievable.

Of course, this came with lows which were mainly due to delays and price increases of a lot of materials through COVID-19 so the budget became challenging.

I would also spend hours trying to learn how to do certain things, which at times may not have worked.

Sometimes through the build, I felt it was never going to finish but I just persisted and eventually could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

What storm tactics do you plan to use?

Dan Turner: It really depends on the situation. For the most part, I will probably be looking to continue going with the breeze but will need to see how the boat is handling things at the time.

I will no doubt likely need to use a few different methods at sea and can let you know what worked best at the other end.

Wires on a boat

Dan built the boat himself, although the electrical work was finalised by Shipptek. Credit: Dan Turner

Drogues or warps?

Dan Turner: I’m taking a sea brake/drogue for this race.

Have you practised those storm tactics?

Dan Turner: I have previously but not in the Globe 5.80 at this point in time. I just haven’t had the opportunity yet to do so.

How have you prepared your boat for the race?

Dan Turner: I have done a solo passage from Adelaide to Port Lincoln and back to see what worked and what did not.

I’ve recently changed over from a hanked jib to a furler to keep myself off the bow and have tried to take as many lines as possible back to the cockpit.

Coming home remains my number one priority and, as such, safety is paramount and I will try to keep off the deck as much as possible.

Are you confident you will make the start?

Dan Turner: Yes, I am confident I will make the start of the Mini Globe Race.

As we speak, the boat is in a container although is experiencing some delays with the journey to Portugal (for the start of the Globe 580 Transat)

I have entered the Globe 5.80 Transat race subject to the container getting delivered in time.

Ultimately, the Mini Globe Race is the priority and whilst not ideal, if I have to sail across the Atlantic as a passage instead of racing [in the Globe 5.80 Transat], I can live with that.

A yellow and white hull of a boat

Immortal Game was launched in April 2024, since then, Dan has been testing and sailing the boat ahead of its transportation to Portugal. Credit: Dan Turner

What self-steering set-up are you planning to use?

Dan Turner: I have a South Atlantic windvane and ST1000 autopilot – one of the only electronic pilots allowed in the race.

What antifouling will you be using?

Dan Turner: International Micron AP. I have used this before and it has worked effectively; if needed, I will go for a swim and clean the hull from time to time [to clean the bottom of the boat].

Routing is forbidden. How are you preparing to sail the best route?

Dan Turner: To be honest, I haven’t spent a lot of time considering the best routes. I am predominately focused on whatever the immediate challenges are that lay ahead of me and for now, that is getting to the start line.

I will no doubt spend some time thinking about the strategy of the first leg in the days leading up to the start but for now it is not high on my list of priorities.

How will you cope with sailing solo for so long?

Dan Turner: I think the biggest thing will be ensuring I get into some form of routine and make sure I am consistently taking care of myself by considering what I am eating, how much rest I am getting and making sure I get onto any issues I am having quickly.

I know how quickly things can go downhill if you don’t take care of yourself and being such a long race, this will be critical.

Dan Turner on his boat, Immortal Game

Dan Turner is no stranger to hostile environments. He has raced in the Sahara Desert and served in the Australian Army as a combat engineer where he was deployed to East Timor with the United Nations in 2004. Credit: Dan Turner

How will you prepare for the challenges alone at sea?

Dan Turner: Making sure I stay in contact with the family will be the biggest thing for me so I am going to try and stay involved with the things my wife and kids are doing back home as much as possible.

I have done a number of challenging events previously, so I have a bit of an understanding of what works for me including when my mind is playing tricks to give up.

The challenge though is that it has been nothing of this sort of scale, so there will be a bit of waiting to see how things go when I get out there I think.

My family and I are going to have to get through this as a team.

Dan Turner wearing a baseball cap

Dan Turner grew up racing dinghies, but has always wanted to race around the world. Credit: Dan Turner

The Mini Globe Race is a celebration of John Guzwell and Trekka. What words of wisdom from Guzwell will you be following?

Dan Turner: I have read Johns’s book which is probably my favourite out of any I have ever read.

I don’t think it is words of wisdom as such that I will be looking to follow, but rather his actions.

Knowing what he did back then with what he had with him is inspiring, and provides me with a level of confidence that this race is achievable which I probably wouldn’t have had otherwise.

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