Ireland's Thomas Dolan Claims Top Twenty Finish in Mini Transat Debut

28th September 2015

ARRIVAL !!!!!!!! Tom has crossed the finish line at 4h12'00" TU+2 !! Bravo Tom! Well done!
Posted by Tom Dolan - Mini Transat 2015 on Sunday, 27 September 2015

Ireland's Thomas Dolan arrived into Lanzarote this morning taking a top twenty position in his 44–boat fleet, a very credible finish for the County Meath solo sailor in the first leg of his first Mini–Transat.

The pontoon reserved for the Mini Transat iles de Guadeloupe in Lanzarote is gradually filling up. The prototypes have taken up most of the spaces, with only two series boats arriving into port so far.

ARRIVAL: the Irish skipper Tom Dolan has crossed the finish line at 4h12'00" TU+2 !! Bravo Tom! Well done! #MiniTransat2015
— Mini Transat (@MiniTransat2015) September 28, 2015

Although quarter of the fleet had arrived in Lanzarote, the battle was still fierce amongst those in the series boats for the best finishing positions (and this was the majority of sailors still at sea)

For all the competitors, these are the last hours at sea, the blessed hours, according to the conversations that some have been able to have with the National marine patrol boat, the PSP Flamant. When he was barely in sight of the coast of the Canaries, Armand de Jacquelot said that he couldn't wait to take off again on the second stage on 31st October.

First five to finish:

Prototypes ( Eurovia Cegelec class):
1. Davy Beaudart - Flexirub
2. Axel Trehin - Aleph Racing
3. Frederic Denis - Nautipark
4. Luke Berry, Association Reves
5. Ludovic Mechin, Microvitae

Series (Ocean Bio-Actif class)
1. Ian Lipinski, Entreprise Innovantes
2. Tanguy Le Turquais, Terreal
3. Charly Fernbach, Henaff le Fauffiffon
4. Julien Pulve, Novintiss
5. Patrick Girod, Nescens

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Even when County Meath solo sailor Tom Dolan had been down the numbers in the early stages of the four-stage 2,000 mile 2020 Figaro Race, Dolan and his boat were soon eating their way up through the fleet in any situation which demanded difficult tactical decisions.

His fifth overall at the finish – the highest-placed non-French sailor and winner of the Vivi Cup – had him right among the international elite in one of 2020's few major events.

The 33-year-old who has lived in Concarneau, Brittany since 2009 but grew up on a farm in rural County Meath came into the gruelling four-stage race aiming to get into the top half of the fleet and to underline his potential to Irish sailing administrators considering the selection process for the 2024 Olympic Mixed Double Offshore category which comes in for the Paris games.