Irish sailor Pat Lawless has set sail from Les Sables d’Olonne in France, beginning his second attempt to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world in the 2026 Golden Globe Race.
The 70 year old Limerick native is the oldest sailor in the fleet and one of 16 competitors taking on the 30,000 mile challenge. The Golden Globe Race recreates the original 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, with competitors sailing without modern navigation technology or outside assistance. Pat will now head south across the Atlantic before rounding the three great capes and continuing towards Tasmania. From there, he will begin the long journey north towards the finish in Les Sables d’Olonne, with the fleet expected to arrive in early summer 2027.
His boat, Silvermines Hydro, carries the name of his title sponsor and reflects Pat’s growing connection with the Silvermines community. He visited Silvermines National School last April, where he spoke to students about his preparations and his approach to ocean sailing.
“You’re not trying to defeat the ocean, you’re not trying to fight it. You’re not conquering it either. You’re just going with it,” Pat said during his visit to Silvermines earlier this year.
This is Pat’s second attempt at the Golden Globe Race, having been forced to withdraw from the 2022 edition due to a mechanical issue. Of the 16 sailors who started that race, only three completed the circumnavigation. Pat is also using the challenge to raise funds for Parkinson’s Ireland. Sailing runs deep in his family, with his father completing a solo circumnavigation in 1996 at the age of 70.
Irish Sailing wishes Pat the very best of luck as he embarks on this remarkable challenge.
Read Pat's Golden Globe Race profile here.