There aren’t many people like Don McIntyre, which is a shame because the world would be a much better place if it was - from teddy bears in Antarctica to racing around the world alone in a boat he built to flying around Australia in a gyrocopter, there isn’t much Don hasn’t experienced.

The inaugural Mini Globe 5.80 race has caught the attention of the entire yachting community, cruisers and racers alike. There is undeniably something intrinsically magical about small boat adventures, which is why Don is so proud of his latest round-the-world race.

Whilst he couldn’t choose a favourite between the Golden Globe, Ocean Globe and the Mini Globe races, it was clear he was having a great time as organiser.

“[I] don't know about a favourite concept, because they're all pretty unique. But what I would say is this is, [they are] without question, full of fun and happy times, you know, like it's just a really huge positive vibe,”

“It's fresh, it's new, it's simple, it's pure.”

This wasn’t to knock the other round-the-world races Don organises, although he did suggest the future looked potentially uncertain for the Golden Globe Race.

“Basically, what's happening is we've invested a huge amount of money in all of our three events, and we haven't secured any major private partner.”

And realistically, you know, by the time we get to 2030, if we don't have partners, or we don't have someone that wants to come in and take over the events and things like that, [then] 2030 could very well be the last Golden Globe race.”

However, optimism was by no means lost, with Don adding:

“I'm quite certain that the future of the Golden Globe is strong. I mean, it's a unique event, but [with] a huge following.” 

“And there's this strong interest, a strong following, you know, it's got its own position in life. So it's, yeah, it'll go ahead. Someone will, someone will keep it running. ”

However, Don isn’t just a race organiser. No, he is an adventurer through and through, and has embarked on escapades across the globe, from Antarctica to Australia to the Atlantic.

“[In 2010] we sailed across the Pacific in an open whale boat, re-enacting the William Bligh mutiny on the Bounty - sort of a voyage of survival, you know.”

“So we were in our boat with no keel, just centreboard, basically a row boat, but it had sails and nothing else, you know, very little food, very little water. And there was me and three other guys - we had an absolute ball. It was one of the most enjoyable adventures I've ever done.”

It was this experience in 2010 which actually inspired the Mini 5.80 concept.

“Then by the time I got to seven years later, I'm thinking, geez, we need to do this [organise a small boat adventure]. And I can see a window of opportunity for me to actually build a boat myself to sail across the Atlantic.”

And, thus, the Mini Globe race was born!

It isn’t just water-based adventures Don embarks on either. No, he has adventured in every corner of the globe - including the skies, when he was the first person to fly a gyrocopter around Australia.

“Three of us set off to fly around Australia in these gyrocopters but the other two guys, which was the manufacturer and my instructor, gave up two thirds of the way around. 

“They eroded their props and flew through rain. They were pushing too hard. And I thought, bugger, I'm still going.”

“I flew around Australia, and that was it.”

Antarctica too is somewhere Don has spent much of his life.

“The BOC Challenge race, which was a solo race around the world in 1990 - you basically sail right alongside Antarctica. You circumnavigate Antarctica. And I thought, when the race is over, I'm going to take the boat to Antarctica, my BOC boat.”

“So I sailed down in ‘93 I think. It was with 200 teddy bears, and that was my first experience sailing into Antarctica. And the place is like, it's another planet.”

“You are absolutely on your own, Humans are not meant to live in that place! So to sail down in your own boat, you're really exposed. You're on the edge. Everything is intensified once again, but it's absolutely mind boggling.”

“We built our own hut down there and spent a year of total isolation [after taking the BOC boat previously]. In fact, we were recognised as being the first colonists ever of Antarctica, the first private individuals going down there just to live!”

He added the magic of such a raw place.

“And then I spent 22 seasons down in Antarctica, going down on ships and planes. It is a magic place, and it's beautiful, it's pristine, it's raw, it's dangerous, it's exciting: it's a real adventure wonderland in a lot of ways.

“So it's a great place for adventure, and I've been very lucky to experience it the way I have.”

His adventures have drawn much attention to him over the years, winning him such accolades as a gold medal for a ‘Lifetime of Adventure’ from the Australian Geographical Society in 2012 and the prestigious ‘Emerald Award’ from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science in 2014. He even ran with the Olympic torch on the day of the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Games!

However, Don and co.’s adventures haven’t solely focused on experience. No, they’ve used their mind-boggling adventures to raise money for many charities.

“So I think in the BOC I had about [...] seven or eight teddy bears from other people. They said, ‘oh, take my teddy bear. Take it around the world.’” 

“So when I made the decision to go to Antarctica, we decided we'd take 200 teddy bears, and the people would pay us to take them, right? And we'd give the money [...] to Camperdown Children's Hospital.” 

It wasn’t a simple affair though taking these paying bears on adventures.

“We had some very expensive bears - that created its own nightmare, because we had to label them all, and we had to, you know, really look after them and we took them down. [...] We did photos with seals and penguins and all that stuff.” 

“And we brought them back and stamped them and signed the pictures and stuff. And so it was a lot of fun. It was a teddy bear expedition to Antarctica, but we raised quite a chunk of money for the hospital.”

After their adventure, these bears had a close call with teddy heaven though, as Don remarked:

“Funny story actually - we did the same thing, going to live for a year in Antarctica, right? We took about, I think, about 35 teddy bears.”

“We came back after the year, and to look after the bears, we [had] put them in a garbage bag, and we brought all our garbage back from Antarctica, and when we got back to Hobart, we got off the boat, right? Went to a big hotel.”

“There's a lot of media and stuff, and the crew were involved with cleaning up the boat. They threw the whole bag of teddy bears out with the rubbish, and it went to the tip, because it was customs quarantine rubbish, right?”

“The next morning, I come back to get the bears. They said, what were the bears in? We said a black plastic bag. And they said, shit!”

“It was a major drama to get to the tip before it was covered over. But fortunately, we got the bag of all the bears back here!”

Indeed, Don has been accompanied by teddy bears for his whole life. He explained one such bear which has accompanied all of his adventures over the years:

“I've got one koala bear, right? Pete, which is really a crazy story.”

“I had a girlfriend, [...] Janice was her name, and when I was 20, she gave me a koala bear as I was about to fly over to New Zealand to hitchhike around New Zealand for three months or something.”

“And that bear, I put it in the window of the plane, and the hostess saw it, and it just opened up a whole new world. [...] That bear was opening doors for me everywhere.” 

“I've had Pete with me every day of my life for the last 50 years, right? And he's been everywhere: if I jumped out of a plane, [...] if I went flying, if I went, doing anything, racing, [he went] with me everywhere.”

“So that's true, he goes everywhere.”

It is clear to see how Don lives for adventures; he said there were no current future plans, but laughed he was fidgety.

“But I'm getting restless.That's the easiest way to explain it. My whole life has been made up of four to five year plans, you know? I'm that sort of person.”

“So [...] when you're starting one adventure, you're already planning the next one, you know? And that's how it used to work. They all take about four to five years to pull off, and then when you're doing it, you're already planning what's next.”

“And right now, I'm super happy. And [...] running the MGR, it's really cool. And I feel Jane and I [...] feel quite proud of the three events, [...] the Golden Globe, the Ocean Globe, Mini Globe, and I think a lot of people get it. They're all unique.” 

“We're doing something that no one else has thought would be possible or had the nerve to do it, because they're all high risk, but we do everything to minimise risk, so we're proud of the events.”

However, he finished off saying:

“I feel as if I'm talking too much and not doing stuff for me!”

Many thanks to Don for this interview! You can learn more about him here.

All photos the property of Don McIntyre and mcintyreadventure.com/