Lawless retires
Irish sailor Pat Lawless has been forced to retire from the 2026 McIntyre Golden Globe Race following a rig failure while challenging for the lead in the South Atlantic.
Photography by Golden Globe Race
23 October 2026
Irish skipper Pat Lawless, 70, has retired from the 2026 McIntyre Golden Globe Race after suffering a serious solent stay failure aboard Silvermines Hydro, ending his hopes of completing a solo, non-stop circumnavigation.
Lawless, the oldest competitor in the 2026 Golden Globe Race, was lying second, just over 100 nautical miles behind French leader Damien Guillou aboard Solarem, when the failure occurred approximately 2,000 miles west of Cape Town.
At 23:51 UTC on 17 October, Lawless sent a brief message to Race Control: “Pat here. Solent rig broken. Rig okay. Now sailing north. Out of the game.”
The incident occurred as Silvermines Hydro encountered 20–25-knot north-easterly headwinds and seas of three to four metres in the Roaring Forties.
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Lawless had previously repaired damage to the solent forestay at sea, but the latest failure has left him without a crucial headsail. The main forestay and remaining standing rigging are believed to be intact, with no indication that the mast is in immediate danger.
Lawless has reported no injuries and has not requested assistance. Race organisers have therefore not declared a Code Orange emergency.
The retirement is a devastating setback for the experienced Irish sailor, who had covered 5,644 nautical miles since departing Les Sables d’Olonne on 6 September, with approximately 21,000 nautical miles remaining.
He had been steadily closing the gap to Guillou, with the pair establishing a commanding position ahead of much of the fleet as they approached the Southern Ocean.
The 2026 campaign was particularly significant for Lawless, whose 2022 Golden Globe Race ended following a failure of his Aries windvane self-steering system west of Cape Town.
Returning four years later, he hoped to become the first Irish sailor to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation in the Golden Globe Race while challenging for overall victory.
At the time of the race organisers’ announcement, Lawless had not confirmed his intended destination, although Cape Town was considered a possibility once he had assessed and secured the damaged rig.
Race Control continues to monitor Silvermines Hydro while awaiting further communication.
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