Pat Lawless has registered his entry for the fourth edition of the Golden Globe Race, to start in two years' time – on September 6, 2026.
With two years remaining, 29 sailors from 12 countries, including two women and the race's first Generation Z entrant, have signed up for this gruelling challenge. Only one provisional entry remains before a waiting list for entries is initiated.
Lawless, who will be 66 at the time of the race start has entered his Saga 36 as 'Green Rebel' GGR 2022.
Pat Lawless aboard his Saga 36
There are ten around-the-world yacht races, in which the Golden Globe stands out as being not about speed or technology, but, the organiser say, "the fundamental human drive to push an impossible dream for a single sailor."
There were 9 sailors in the first GGR start of which one finished - then 29-year-old Robin Knox-Johnston, aboard the 32-foot Suhaili.
Pat Lawless was doing well in the third GGR when he had to retire into Cape Town after battling a problem with his self-steering which he could not fixt at sea.
"I was sailing well in 2022 when my self-steering started to give trouble 1200 nautical miles west of Cape Town. I sailed in using sheet-to-tiller and I decided to retire. I have unfinished business in the Golden Globe Race."
After sorting the problem he sailed home to Kerry and says that the 2026 GGR will be his second campaign. "The Aries self-steering will be used again and a second Aires unit on board as a spare. After GGR22 there are some modifications to make on the Saltram Saga 36. A slight change to the rigging, , new sails, this time make sure the weather fax is working properly and more," which he is working on.
Pat Lawless was doing well in the third GGR when he had to retire into Cape Town after battling a problem with his self-steering
He lives in Ballyferriter, Co Kerry, "the most westerly village in Europe. I spent more than 20 years as a full time fisherman off the west coast of Ireland, and I have experienced some wild weather out there in my time. I'm thinking day and night about the race.
"During my involvement in GGR we are fund raising and raising awareness for Parkinson's Ireland. A few months before the start of the GGR 2022, my wife, Rita, was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease."
