The 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race was the first ever around the world yacht race. The story is a classic in our time. It has been an inspiration to generations of sailors

On its 50th anniversary, Don McIntyre resurrected the memory and challenge of this great adventure with the birth of a contemporary 2018 Golden Globe Race which was a huge success. On the strength of that was born the 50th anniversary recreation of the original 1973 Whitbread Race, the worlds first fully crewed race around the world in the form of the 2023 Ocean Globe Race. With a passion for small yachts and affordable adventure, Don is organising the first ever 2024 Mini Globe Race around the world for solo Globe 5.80 one design yachts.  

For the sailors who accept any one of these epic challenges, a life changing experience is guaranteed. They will endure extreme emotion on all levels, question why and face themselves in a way that is totally raw and very personal. They may find the reason for doing it hard to explain to others, but one thing is certain, they will be part of a very exclusive group.  

They will be a member of the world’s most exclusive yacht club, the GLOBE YACHT CLUB (GYC). To be granted ‘Full Member’ status, you must enter and sail in one of the three GLOBE races. Only then are you able to fly the GLOBE YACHT CLUB BURGEE on the starboard yardarm or a pig stick from the aft most mast. 

The burgee of the GYC consists of a red cross representing the four corners of the world, or four quarters of the world corresponding approximately to the four points of the compass (or the two solstices and two equinoxes). GLOBE entrants come from the four corners of the GLOBE and sail through all of them by compass. 

The centre intercept of the red cross is important as it differentiates one of three events a GYC member has entered. A gold square represents a GGR sailor. A blue square represents an OGR sailor. An orange square represents an MGR sailor. If a sailor has entered two events, he will have a special two-colour square.

The gold GLOBE insignia in the top quadrant of the burgee is the ‘Official Globe Brand’ representing a circumnavigation of the Globe E-W. The sextant in the lower quadrant is used for the GGR and OGR and required in the MGR, a clear symbol of the retro aspect and serious nature of these events.

‘Associate members’ of the Globe Yacht Club are those who want to support and associate with these great sailors and Globe events. Associate Member burgees do NOT have a coloured square. Associate memberships to the GYC will be open to any sailor who has circumnavigated under sail, who can show proficiency in celestial navigation, or who is an official team member of any GLOBE event entrant. These memberships will open after the start of the 2022 Golden Globe Race.

‘GYC Flag Officers’ have exclusive GYC Flags.

The Official Globe Yacht Club House will reside on a full member’s yacht on a rotating basis for a one-year term. 

The founder of the Globe Yacht Club is Don McIntyre. Flag officers and aims and objectives will be announced on 1 August 2022.