FLI Global are proud to once again sponsor Irish sailor Pat Lawless for the 2026 Golden Globe Race. Pat visited the FLI Global office in Waterford earlier this week to collect his new Rolly Tasker sails in preparation for the September 2026 event.
Pat is a veteran of the GGR2022, where he was also sponsored by FLI Global. He performed exceptionally well in the rankings until an unfixable mechanical issue with the steering mechanism unfortunately forced his retirement from the race.
The Golden Globe Race is a solo, non-stop sailing challenge around the world, inspired by the original Sunday Times Golden Globe Race of 1968. Competitors must navigate without modern technology, relying solely on traditional methods such as celestial navigation using the stars and a sextant.
Sailors will depart from Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, before navigating eastbound and south of all the great capes. Remarkably, more people have been to space than have sailed this route alone and without assistance.
The race covers approximately 30,000 nautical miles and takes about 270 days to complete. Competitors must sail boats designed before 1988 and between 32–36 feet in length. With no stops or external support allowed, it is considered one of the toughest and most authentic tests of seamanship in the world.
We wish Pat every success in his 2026 campaign and, above all, a safe return home. The FLI Global team looks forward to being in Les Sables-d’Olonne in September to see him off on this extraordinary journey.
Congratulations to Chris Woods, Divisional Director at FLI CAP Technology, on completing one of Europe’s toughest one-day cycling events – the Tour du Mont Blanc Cyclo 2026.
At FLI Global, our strength comes from the diversity of expertise across our businesses and the commitment of our people to continuous improvement, innovation, and sustainable growth. Over recent months, teams across the Group have continued to achieve important milestones, reinforcing our position as a leading provider of engineering, infrastructure, water, wastewater, and environmental solutions.
FLI Group, the Waterford headquartered environmental services and technologies company, has announced the sale of Vertase FLI, its UK contaminated land remediation subsidiary, to Adler & Allan, a leading UK provider of integrated environmental risk reduction services backed by Goldman Sachs Alternatives.
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