Renaud Stitelmann wins Leg One of the Mini Globe Race 2025

Swiss sailor Renaud Stitelmann, who won the Globe 5.80 Transat, has taken Leg One of the Mini Globe Race 2025

Renaud Stitelmann has spent decades racing yachts. Between 1982 and 2022, he took part in the International Moth, 505, and competed in solo and double-handed regattas in Lake Geneva, and raced in the M2-Catamaran circuit between 2006-2011. Credit: Renaud Stitelmann Credit: Renaud Stitelmann

Renaud Stitelmann has led from the front since taking the crown in the Globe 5.80 Transat – one of the ways to qualify for the Mini Globe Race 2025.

He crossed the finish line of the first leg of the Mini Globe Race – from Antigua to Panama – at 1040 UTC yesterday, having sailed 1,163 miles in a corrected time of 8 days, 18 hours, 40 minutes and 25 seconds.

The average speed of his 19ft Globe 5.80 Capucinette was 5.53 knots, and like most of the skippers, Stitelmann had to deal with the strong currents off the Panama coast.

The first three to cross the line of Leg One of the 2025 Mini Globe Race: Renaud Stitelmann (first), Dan Turk (third) and Keri Harris (second). Photo credit: Dan Turk/MGR2025

Throughout the race, British skipper, Keri Harris aboard Origami kept the pressure on, despite being handicapped by not having a working self-steering system, which meant hours of hand steering.

He started Leg 1 without his South Atlantic windvane self-steering gear, having taken it off for servicing before the race start, which then couldn’t be fulfilled.

At one point, just 8 miles separate Harris and Stitelmann, but the Swiss sailor continued to lead, even finding time to bake a mood-lifting banana cake.

Keri Harris is clearly pushing hard to win, having taken as much weight off his boat as possible. A rare piece of luxury aboard is a thin piece of yoga mat – the only cushion on the boat – to keep his backside protected, having suffered during the transat.

He crossed the finish line off Colón, Panama less than 5 hours behind Renaud Stitelmann, with a corrected elapsed time of 8 days, 23 hours, 34 minutes and 45 seconds.

Little Bea will be lifted out and inspected, after Dan Turk’s Globe 5.80 collided with an object, thought to be a whale. Credit: Dan Turk/MGR 2025

Canadian Dan Turk came third aboard Little Bea, arriving around 3 hours after Harris, despite a suspected collision with a whale, which caused the boat to come to a stop. No water ingress or damage was reported but Turk will be lifting out the boat in Colón for a thorough inspection.

“It was a lot of fun; there was good competition. Between when Renaud Stitelmann got in and I got in, there was only 8 hours difference between the three of us which is amazing,” said Turk.

“I can’t believe I have crossed the Atlantic Ocean twice, and now the Caribbean Sea. The Pacific is coming up which will be a huge challenge as there are so many variables in terms of weather, systems and currents.”

A man at sea taking part in the Mini Globe Race

Dan Turner on Immortal Game finished with an elapsed time of 9 days, 4 hours, 23 minutes and 54 seconds. Credit: Dab Turner

There were also problems for fourth-placed Australian Dan Turner after the turnbuckle on the forestay came undone. He used a spare halyard to jury-rig the mast.

“I heard a banging sound on deck. I sleep about 40 minutes at a time generally and I wondered what the hell was that. I went up on deck and saw the forestay and the furler post just swinging in the air from left to right, banging into the boat,” explained Turner.

“The furler was still on the bow. I quickly ran up to the bow and thankfully we have an inner forestay which holds the mast but the problem is that it has no stability at the top there. I had the kite up at the time and the headsail as well and I thought I was going to lose the rig. I rang my mate, Tommy, my Dad and my wife and in the end, I couldn’t get it back in there as I couldn’t get into the furling mechanism. So the mast is being held up at the bow by halyards at this stage.”

Fifth place went to British skipper, Adam Waugh aboard Little Wren, who sailed north of the rest of the fleet on approach to Panama to make the most of the favourable current.

Germany’s Christian Sauer aboard Argo crossed the line 4 hours after Waugh, followed by John Blenkinsop, aboard Delja100.

Leg 2 of the race is scheduled to begin on 23 March 2025, from Panama to Fiji via Tahiti and Tonga.

Mini Globe Race 2025: Leg 1: Antigua to Colón, Panama (corrected elapsed time)

Renaud Stitelmann, Capucientte, 8d, 18h, 40m, 25s
Keri Harris, Origami, 8d, 23h, 34m, 45s
Dan Turk, Little Bea, 9d, 2h, 47m, 23s
Dan Turner, Immortal Game, 9d 4h, 23m, 54s
Adam Waugh, Little Wren, 9d, 16h, 9m, 12s
Christian Sauer, Argo, 9d, 20h, 40m, 25s
John Blenkinsop, Delja100, 10d, 0h, 18m, 33s
Eric Marsh, Sunbear
Jakub Ziemkiewicz, Bibi
Pilar Pasanau, Peter Punk
Jasmine Harrison, Numbatou
Josh Kali, Skookum
Mike Blenkinsop, Delja99
Ertan Beskardes, Trekka