- In 1968, The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race was the first ever around-the-world solo yacht race.
- Known at the time as a voyage for madmen, lives were forever changed – yachts sank, a suicide occurred and of the nine entries only one man finished – Sir Robin Knox-Johnston becoming the first person ever to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around the globe.
- No other race had occurred like it in half a century.
The Voyage of Madmen film released today on the Golden Globe Youtube channel is the story of Don McIntyre’s 50 year anniversary recreation of the infamous race and his quest to attract amateur sailors to compete in small boats, taking on the perils of the sea entirely against the odds. It’s a race without modern technological aids where actually surviving a non-stop lap of the world is the achievement. Of the 18 solo sailors to depart France in 2018 – five solitary skippers crossed the finish line – the final finisher spending 322 days alone at sea. This is the story of the longest sporting event in history. A display of brutal individualism by characters longing for a by-gone era who are hell-bent on recreating the longest, loneliest and most gruelling sports event on the planet.
This film is an independent production funded entirely and produced by Don McIntyre – “McIntyre Adventure”. For the past 10 Years, he has invested heavily in supporting adventure, conceiving and organising three around the world races – Golden Globe Race, Ocean Globe Race and the Mini Globe Race currently underway. All this without major sponsors. Solo sailor Jesse Martin directed the film and was primary cameraman.
The fourth edition of the McIntyre Golden Globe Race starts in 12 months on September 6th 2026 once again from Les Sables d’Olonne. In the past three editions of the Golden Globe only 9 sailors have finished, 43 tried. In 2026, 28 sailors are lining up for the start.
The 73-year old French veteran of six solo circumnavigations takes over both titles from Britain’s Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the sole finisher of the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race 50 years before. Until the finish gun fired at 09:12 UTC, Sir Robin had held the title as the oldest solo circumnavigator in a race, after completing the Velux 5 Oceans Race in 2007 at the age of 68.
