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A withdrawal despite an intact mast
Aboard Silvermines Hydro, Pat Lawless was sailing about 100 miles behind the French leader, Damien Guillou, when he reported that his Solent forestay?which supports a furling headsail?had broken.
The other struts remained in place, and the mast does not appear to be in danger. The skipper reported no injuries and did not request any assistance. He nevertheless chose to withdraw from the race and head north.
A serious breakdown in the Forties
At the time of the incident, Lawless was sailing in winds of 20 to 25 knots, with waves of 3 to 4 meters.
The loss of the Solent stay does not necessarily mean it is impossible to sail. However, it limits the options for adjusting the sails, which is a significant disadvantage for a solo sailor on a nonstop round-the-world voyage.
The sailor had already repaired this part of the rigging a few weeks earlier. At this point, no findings have made it possible to determine the exact cause of the break.
Damien Guillou loses his closest rival
Having set sail from Les Sables-d'Olonne on September 6, Pat Lawless had covered approximately 5,644 miles. His withdrawal changes the competitive landscape at the front of the fleet, where Damien Guillou had been in first place.
For the Irishman, this is his second withdrawal from the Golden Globe Race: in 2022, a malfunction in his windvane had already forced him to abandon the race.
The priority now is to reach a safe port. At the time of the announcement of its withdrawal, its destination had not yet been confirmed.
