Globe 5.80 Transat: Matthew Freestone sails without Starlink

British sailor Matthew Freestone started the Globe 5.80 Transat from Lagos in Portugal on 31 October 2026 aboard Inimini, a 5.8 metre plywood yacht whose name is British slang for very small. The 59-year-old has more than 16,000 nautical miles behind him, and of the six boats racing, his is the only one without Starlink.

The fleet's 600 nautical mile qualifier runs to Lanzarote, with the Atlantic crossing to Antigua due to start on 14 November.

Inimini's skipper on the foredeck handling a striped spinnaker, with 109 painted on the bow — Inimini sets her spinnaker off Lagos at the Globe 5.80 Transat qualifier start, 31 October 2026. | Photo: G580T 2026

Cruiser, racer, single-hander

Matthew is from Macclesfield and keeps Inimini at Conwy in North Wales. He has sailed a Dragonfly 800 trimaran single-handed around the UK and cruised a Vancouver 34 widely, including a return trip to the Balearic Islands with his wife. He has also raced across the Atlantic aboard a Corby 45, finishing 20th overall and third in class.

More than 3,300 of his miles have been sailed solo, and he backs that experience with Yachtmaster Offshore, practical and theory, and Yachtmaster Ocean theory.

He sums up the appeal of the race in one line: sailing alone is both the best and the worst part of the challenge.

Craned over the house

Hull 109 was built in the Netherlands by her first owner, in a tent in his back garden. Once she was finished, a crane had to lift her over the house to get her out. The build is documented on the builder's blog.

Matthew bought her and delivered her to the start himself, sailing from North Wales to Lagos with plenty of upwind work across the Bay of Biscay. Her name, painted on the topsides, comes from "ini mini", British slang for something very small.

Close view of Inimini's bow and bowsprit, with a sailor handling the spinnaker tack — Spinnaker work on Inimini's bowsprit off Lagos, 31 October 2026. She is the only boat in the fleet without Starlink. | Photo: G580T 2026

The one boat without Starlink

Five of the six boats carry Starlink Mini, so their skippers can send photos and video from sea. Inimini does not. Expect fewer posts from Matthew than from the rest of the fleet, while the race tracker shows his progress across the Atlantic.