Pat Lawless

Pat Lawless is an Irish solo sailor and ocean adventurer preparing to compete in the 2026 Golden Globe Race, the world’s most demanding solo circumnavigations. A fisherman, furniture maker, and seasoned solo sailor with tens of thousands of nautical miles under his belt, Pat will be 70 years old when the race begins, proving that the spirit of adventure does not fade with age.

Born in Limerick but living for more than 40 years in Ballyferriter, Co. Kerry. Pat is married to Rita and have four adult children and two grandchildren.  Pat developed his deep connection with the sea through years of commercial offshore fishing in the deep waters of the west of Ireland, where seamanship, resilience, and respect for the ocean are learned the hard way.

As a schoolboy growing up on the banks of the River Shannon, Pat built and sailed small plywood boats during the summer holidays. He devoured stories of great ocean voyagers such as Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Bernard Moitessier, and Limerick’s own Conor O’Brien. He also drew inspiration from Ireland’s great Polar explorers —  Kerryman Tom Crean and the Cork brothers Tim McCarthy, and Mortimer McCarthy — whose courage and endurance in the harshest seas helped shape Ireland’s proud maritime heritage.

Yet Pat’s greatest inspiration came from closer to home. His father, Pat Lawless Sr., became the first Irishman to sail solo around the world at the age of 70, returning after a three-year voyage with stories that ignited his son’s imagination.

Now following that same spirit of adventure, Pat will sail his Saltram Saga 36 around the world using only traditional navigation. Through the campaign he is also raising funds and awareness for Parkinson’s Ireland. 

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Major Henry Wootton

Major Henry Wootton is a Company Commander in 3rd Battalion, The Rifles, serving in Edinburgh. A keen offshore sailor, he has conducted 11,300 solo miles, including solo crossings of the Pacific and Atlantic. He is in the final months of preparation before the Golden Globe Race 2026.

This is a single-handed, non stop, and unsupported circumnavigation of the world that forbids modern technology. By competing, Henry aims to become the first Briton to win since 1968, taking the opportunity to conquer the planet’s last great wilderness: the Southern Ocean.

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