Mini Globe Race: How a homemade boat sailed round the world – now a documentary

First build the boat, then sail round the world alone in it: Adam Waugh has put this plan into action. With no previous boat-building experience, he built his ‘Little Wren’, a Globe 5.80-class plywood boat. The Briton completed the Mini Globe Race in it and returned to Antigua in March 2026.

From a sailing trip around Iceland to owning your own ocean-going cruiser

In his late fifties, Waugh was looking for a challenge that his professional life had not offered him. As he wrote in his Participant profile As he describes, it was whilst sailing that he found the physical and mental freedom he had been seeking. He first developed a taste for longer voyages whilst serving as a crew member on a 60-foot clipper sailing from Oban in Scotland to Iceland.

He then furthered his knowledge through theory and practical courses run by the British Royal Yachting Association. He obtained his Yachtmaster Offshore qualification and qualified as an RYA Cruising Instructor. Although he was a novice at boatbuilding prior to the round-the-world sailing project, he was already a trained sailor and sailing instructor.

In January 2022, Waugh ordered the timber for his Globe 5.80. The boat was built in a shed at his home in Northumberland. In March 2024, ‘Little Wren’ was launched. The name is a reference to a wren that had kept him company whilst he was building the boat.

A small boat for the Mini Globe Race

Waugh combined his round-the-world sailing trip with a fundraising campaign for the Ella Dawson Foundation. The organisation supports young adults with cancer and their families. The trip therefore had a further purpose alongside its sporting objective.

We provided extensive coverage of the Mini Globe Race from start to finish. Our Final report on the round-the-world yacht race in the 5.80-metre class looks back on the race and brings together the reports on the individual stages. You can also read about the journey of the German participant, Christian Sauer, there.

• ​​YACHT Podcast: Christian Sauer on his participation in the first Mini Globe Race

You can view the full documentary here: