Figaro winner Tom Dolan, in a review of the past season, says that winning the French race was much more than just a sporting success. " It is the culmination of several years of unremitting work, resilience, and moments of doubt, where passion and enthusiasm won out in the end."
In my podcast interview with him, he describes the importance of his approach to this year's race after several previous attempts to win it. He discusses the importance of the psychology needed when making decisions alone at sea, the changes he made in sail handling and gear usage in the one-design Figaro yachts - "the only thing we can fiddle around with is the sails and how to handle them. It was continuous work to adapt to how I wanted to sail, handle the boat, and make the decisions that resulted in winning."
He stresses the importance of committed sponsors because it is "expensive, like running your own small business, where the boat is your tool to achieve success."
Beyond the competition aspect, he has announced "an initiative very close to my heart: recycling the boat's used sails. As a Skipper, I'm very attached to the sea, and I must help preserve this environment, which gives us so much. Transforming old sails into recycled products is a way for me and my sponsors, Smurfit Kappa and Kingspan, to get involved in this sustainable approach and show that it is possible to combine performance and a deep respect for our environment."
I asked him if coping with the isolation of being alone was crucial to winning the Figaro.
Listen into the Podcast below
