He wanted to become the first Irishman in the history of the Golden Globe Race to sail single-handed and non-stop round the world. And this was already his second attempt. He had already been denied success in 2022 – at almost the same spot in the Atlantic.
Act Two – the same pain
Pat Lawless had also got off to a strong start in his first attempt, the third Golden Globe Race in 2022, and had sailed to the front of the field before his Aries windvane autopilot failed some 1,200 nautical miles west of Cape Town. Without a functioning autopilot, safe single-handed sailing was no longer possible – Lawless called into Cape Town, and his withdrawal was officially confirmed on 10 November 2022.
This year’s edition of the race was set to mark a comeback. He was competing in the same boat as Lawless had in the last Golden Globe Race, the one that Saltram Saga 36 “Silvermines Hydro”. This time with a spare Aries on board and a firm resolve to complete the mission they had begun. On 6 September 2026, he lined up at the start off Les Sables-d’Olonne alongside 15 other skippers from twelve nations – it was the largest fleet since the Retro-Race began.
Neck and neck with the leader
The first six weeks of the race went exceptionally well for Lawless. Together with the Frenchman Damien Guillou on the Rustler 36 ‘Solarem’, he had pulled clear of the rest of the field – a two-horse race at the top that kept the GGR community on the edge of their seats. Shortly before the race was abandoned, Lawless had reduced the gap to Guillou to just 100 nautical miles – both had reached the Roaring Forties in recent days and were heading towards the South Atlantic.
At that point, Lawless had covered 5,644 nautical miles. There would have been another 21,000 nautical miles to go to reach the finish line.
"Pat here. Solent rig broken. Rig’s fine. Now sailing north. Out of the running."
Then the cutter stay – the second forestay, which is positioned behind the main forestay and is used on the ‘Silvermines Hydro’ for a reefable jib – snapped. Lawless was sailing close-hauled in winds of 20 to 25 knots from the north-east and in 3 to 4-metre swells.
Just a few weeks earlier, the Irishman had reported damage to the same stay and had successfully carried out the repairs at sea. It is unclear whether this section has failed again or whether the current damage has occurred elsewhere on the cutter stay.
Mast secured – no Code Orange
The most important piece of information in Lawless’s text message was: “Rig okay.” According to the race organisers, the main forestay is intact, as is the rest of the standing rigging. The mast is therefore not in immediate danger.
Pat Lawless also reported no injuries and did not request assistance. Consequently, no Code Orange was declared on the GGR – the formal procedure for acute emergencies at sea.
One man, one promise, one family
If you want to understand Pat Lawless, you need to know his family history. The solo sailor has been married to Rita Geoghegan for 43 years, has four children and two grandchildren. Shortly before the start of the GGR 2022, his wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Since then, Lawless has not only been sailing for himself – he is sailing for Parkinson’s Ireland, raising funds and awareness for a condition that his wife lives with every day.
The inspiration behind his oceanic ambitions is his father: in 1996, at the age of 70, his father became the first Irishman to sail solo round the world – a feat that left a deep impression on Pat, who was accompanying him at the time. Now Lawless himself is 70 – and his attempt to complete this story has failed once again.
Lasse Johannsen
Deputy Editor in Chief YACHT
