Retirement at front of Golden Globe Race

Sixteen solo skippers started the 2026-27 Golden Globe Race on September 6 from Les Sables-d’Olonne, France. The fourth edition continues the “retro race” format in which 32-36 foot production boats designed prior to 1988, without modern technology, compete in the non-stop contest. Here is an update from October 18:

There were two boats in the breakaway group descending the South Atlantic. Now there is one as Irish skipper Pat Lawless, the oldest skipper in the race at 70, has retired.

Racing a Saga 36, he reported on October 17 at 23:51 UTC a serious failure of his Solent rig while lying just over 100 nautical miles behind race leader Damien Guillou’s Rustler 36.

The failure involved the Solent stay, the secondary forestay situated aft of the main genoa forestay and used for a reefing headsail system. At the time, he was pushing into a 20-25 knot north-easterly headwind and 3-4 m seas, approximately 2000 nm west of Cape Town, South Africa.

A few weeks ago, Lawless had reported damage to the Solent forestay but was able to repair while underway. It is unclear whether the previous repair itself has failed or whether the latest damage has occurred elsewhere in the Solent rigging.

There is presently no indication that the mast itself is in danger. The main genoa forestay remains in place, together with the staysail forestay and the remainder of the standing rigging. He has given Race Control no indication of his intended destination at this stage.

The retirement is particularly difficult because the 2026 race represented unfinished business.

During the 2022 edition, he had been sailing strongly near the front of the fleet when his Aries windvane self-steering system suffered a major failure west of Cape Town. Unable to continue his non-stop solo circumnavigation as intended, he subsequently sailed into Cape Town, where his retirement was confirmed on November 10, 2022.

The 2026 edition represented what he had described as his final opportunity to achieve a lifelong ambition: to become the first Irish sailor to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation in the Golden Globe Race, while also challenging for overall victory.

With French leader Damien Guillou, the two sailors had effectively broken away from much of the fleet and were shaping up for an extraordinary head-to-head contest as they approached the southern oceans.

Chichester Class*
Guy deBoer (USA), Tashiba 36

Retired
September 26 – Selim Yalcin (TUR), Endurance 35, retired to Cadiz, Spain
October 17 – Pat Lawless (IRL), Saga 36, retirement port not yet known

*Competitors move to the Chichester Class when receiving assistance.

Race details – Entry list – Tracker – Facebook

In 1968, nine started the first solo non-stop sailing race around the World with 29 year old Sir Robin Knox Johnston as the lone finisher. He navigated only with a sextant, paper charts, and an accurate and reliable time piece, and the Golden Globe Race seeks to recreate the challenge.

Competitors must sail in production boats between 32-36 foot overall designed prior to 1988 that have a full-length keel with rudder attached to their trailing edge. Similarly, entrants must sail without modern technology or the benefit of satellite-based navigation aids.

In 2018, 18 started with five finishers for the second edition. When repeated in 2022, there were three finishers from 16 starters. Along the route there were several marks of the course and media requirements. For the fourth edition, after 29 solo sailors from 12 countries initially entered, 16 have fulfilled the requirements to start from Les Sables-d’Olonne, France on September 6, 2026.