Sir Robin Knox-Johnston Headlines Dublin UNICEF Fundraiser

22nd December 2025

Afloat.ie Team

Robin Knox-Johnston waving aboard his 32ft yacht SUHAILI off Falmouth, England after becoming the first man to sail solo non-stop around the globe. Knox-Johnston was the sole finisher in the Sunday Times Golden Globe solo round the world race, having set out from Falmouth, England, on 14th June 1968 aboard his tiny 32ft ketch Suhaili. It was a time when the Flat Earth Society was still in existence, and even seasoned yachtsmen thought it to be an impossible feat. For everyone else, it was Robin who was the sole finisher among 9 starters to complete this 30,000-mile supreme endurance race, organised by the Sunday Times newspaper. Knox-Johnston will speak at a UNICEF fundraising dinner in Dun Laoghaire in February 2026. Credit: Bill Rowntree / PPL

A fundraising evening in aid of UNICEF will bring Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to Dun Laoghaire Harbour this February.

The event, titled An Evening With Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, takes place on Friday, 20 February 2026, at the Royal Marine Hotel.

It will be hosted by Irish entrepreneur and local Cruisers One skipper, Bobby Kerr, and is organised as a fundraiser in support of UNICEF.

Knox-Johnston is best known as the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world, achieving the feat during the Golden Globe Race.

Organisers say demand has been strong since tickets went on sale, prompting a move to the hotel’s larger ballroom.

Tickets are priced at €70 and include a three-course meal, entertainment and a charitable donation.

All profits from the evening will go to UNICEF, with additional funds raised through a raffle supported by local businesses.

The event is being organised by Damien Payne of the National Yacht Club, who recently completed the opening leg of the Clipper Race from Portsmouth to Uruguay.

The evening begins at 6.30 pm. Advance booking is required.

Published in Clipper Race, Solo Sailing, Golden Globe Race, Dun Laoghaire Harbour News

Published in Clipper Race

Tagged under

Sir Robin KnoxJohnston

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

You might also want to read...

About the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is undoubtedly one of the greatest ocean adventures on the planet, also regarded as one of its toughest endurance challenges. Taking almost a year to complete, it consists of eleven teams competing against each other on the world’s largest matched fleet of 70-foot ocean racing yachts.

The Clipper Race was established in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo, non-stop, around the world in 1968-69. His aim was to allow anyone, regardless of previous sailing experience, the chance to embrace the thrill of ocean racing; it is the only event of its kind for amateur sailors. Around 40 per cent of crew are novices and have never sailed before starting a comprehensive training programme ahead of their adventure.

This unique challenge brings together everyone from chief executives to train drivers, nurses and firefighters, farmers, airline pilots and students, from age 18 upwards, to take on Mother Nature’s toughest and most remote conditions. There is no upper age limit, the oldest competitor to date is 76.

Now in its twelfth edition, the Clipper 2019-20 Race started from London, UK, on 02 September 2019.