A second son of the late solo circumnavigator Pat Lawless from Limerick has announced plans to follow in his father's wake and sail solo around the world.
Peter and his brother Pat, both based in County Kerry, are embarking on separate solo circumnavigation over the next two years emulating the world-girdling exploits of their father in 1997.
It's a feat that could see the siblings achieve the feat of being the first Irish sailors to complete a solo non-stop circumnavigations of the world.
Peter Lawless - solo voyage
Peter (52) will begin an eight-month voyage in August 2021, such timing that will mean he will be should be home before his older brother Pat departs for France and the start of the 2022 Golden Globe Race in September 2022.
In August Peter, who lives in Annascaul near Dingle, plans to sail solo, non-stop, unassisted around the world from Ireland back to Ireland via the five great capes, using a sextant and paper charts as his primary navigation tools.
Peter estimates the trip will take him approximately eight month's non-stop in the Rival 41, Waxwing, a standard production offshore cruising yacht that upgraded for the challenge. Check out his video below.
Peter Lawless on his Rival 41, Waxwing
As regular Afloat readers will recall, this will be the second circumnavigation for Waxwing. It was the boat used by Peter and Susan Gray two sailing adventurers of the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire who completed an eight-year trip around the world in the yacht in 2003.
Pat Lawless - Golden Globe 2022 Race entrant
As Afloat previously reported, Pat (66), from Ballyferriter, will be following Dublin sailor Gregor McGuckin, a competitor in the 2018 Golden Globe race, when he crosses the line of the 2022 race.
He aims to finish what McGuckin started in the 50th anniversary of the Golden Globe Race and become the first Irishman to complete a non-stop, unassisted solo circumnavigation of the world.
Pat revealed the depths of his ambition when he told Afloat over the Christmas "I would not sail solo nonstop around the World, unless it was a race, that I had a fair hope of winning".
He says he is 'delighted' with his Saltram Saga 36, a 'safe and fast' boat, currently on the hard in Dingle Harbour, County Kerry.
Pat Lawless's Saltram Saga 36 is craned out at Dingle Harbour in County Kerry. A lot of work done has been done to prepare the boat for the 20202 Golden Globe Race, but there is plenty left to do, says the Kerry skipper
Over the last six decades, Pat has amassed around 150,000km on the water between sailing and fishing. In the build-up to the GGR, Lawless is planning a voyage to Iceland this summer.
"I will sail to the island of Jan Mayen in the Arctic next year, Going around Iceland on the way. Been over 25 years since I sailed there" he told Afloat.
"Hopefully, if COVID-19 permits I will sail around Ireland also, stopping in many ports," he adds.
