‘Unfinished business’, Pat Lawless says of returning for the 2026 Golden Globe Race

Pat Lawless returns for the 2026 Golden Globe Race after a self-steering failure forced him to retire in 2022. Here's how he's preparing.

Pat Lawless has opted for a sprayhood. He would not use a doghouse as he believes it will add too much windage. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR

For Pat Lawless, the 2026 Golden Globe Race has been a long time coming.

Lawless grew up sailing on Limerick’s River Shannon. As a young man, he followed the OSTAR and the original Sunday Times Golden Globe in 1968.