Tom Dolan Powers To Figaro Victory Off Cape Finisterre

21st May 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Victory Salute! Irish skipper Tom Dolan celebrates aboard Kingspan after winning the opening stage of the 2026 La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec off Cape Finisterre Credit: Thomas Campion

Tom Dolan delivered a commanding performance to win the opening stage of the 2026 La Solitaire du Figaro after a decisive overnight move off the Spanish coast.

The Irish skipper of Kingspan crossed the finish line at Cape Finisterre after 3 days, 20 hours, 21 minutes and 36 seconds at sea. French sailors Loïs Berrehar and Paul Morvan completed the podium.

As Afloat reported earlier, Dolan’s victory came after a tactical breakaway late on Wednesday night when he positioned north of a leading pack including Nicolas Lunven and Alexis Thomas before stretching away with superior boat speed.

“I'm very happy,” Dolan said after the finish. “I had very bad memories of Vigo. I definitely didn’t see myself coming here on holiday. This victory makes me feel a lot better about the place.”

Sunrise Charge! Tom Dolan’s Kingspan powers toward victory at dawn during the opening stage of the 2026 La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec off the Spanish coast. Photo: Thomas Campion

The result marks another major milestone for the Irish offshore sailor two years after his overall Figaro triumph in 2024. It also erased memories of last year’s race when a wrist injury forced him to retire during the second stage.

Berrehar finished 37 minutes and 34 seconds behind Dolan after spending much of the race among the leaders. Morvan secured his first Figaro podium place in third.

“It was an incredible stage, very intense and difficult,” Berrehar said. “Tom was unbelievably good, but that’s going to have to stop.”

Veteran skippers Martin Le Pape and Nicolas Lunven rounded out the top five after a punishing Bay of Biscay crossing that saw gusts reaching 38 knots and seas close to four metres.

Race organisers shortened the course approaching Cape Finisterre due to worsening weather conditions, making the final tactical exchanges decisive.

Dolan also claimed the Vivi Trophy awarded to the first international sailor across the line.

The fleet is now heading to Vigo before the second stage to Pornichet begins after a recovery stop of just over 48 hours.

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Published in Figaro, Tom Dolan

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Ireland & La Solitaire du Figaro

The Solitaire du Figaro, was originally called the course de l’Aurore until 1980, was created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and Jean-Michel Barrault.

Half a decade later, the race has created some of France's top offshore sailors, and it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a new boat equipped with foils and almost 50 skippers Including novices, aficionados and six former winners.

The solo multi-stage offshore sailing race is one of the most cherished races in French sailing and one that has had Irish interest stretching back over 20 years due to the number of Irish stopovers, usually the only foreign leg of the French race.

What Irish ports have hosted The Solitaire du Figaro?

The race has previously called to Ireland to the following ports; Dingle, Kinsale, Crosshaven, Howth and Dun Laoghaire.

What Irish sailors have raced The Solitaire du Figaro?

So far there have been seven Irish skippers to participate in La Solitaire du Figaro.

In 1997, County Kerry's Damian Foxall first tackled the Figaro from Ireland. His win in the Rookie division in DHL gave him the budget to compete again the following year with Barlo Plastics where he won the final leg of the race from Gijon to Concarneau. That same year a second Irish sailor Marcus Hutchinson sailing Bergamotte completed the course in 26th place and third Rookie.

In 2000, Hutchinson of Howth Yacht Club completed the course again with IMPACT, again finishing in the twenties.

In 2006, Paul O’Riain became the third Irish skipper to complete the course.

In 2013, Royal Cork's David Kenefick raised the bar by becoming a top rookie sailor in the race.

In 2018, for the first time, Ireland had two Irish boats in the offshore race thanks to Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy who joined the rookie ranks and kept the Irish tricolour flying high in France. Mulloy became the first Irish female to take on the race.

Tom Dolan in Smurfit Kappa competed for his third year in 2020 after a 25th place finish in 2019. Dolan sailed a remarkably consistent series in 2020 and took fifth overall, the best finish by a non-French skipper since 1997 when Switzerland’s Dominique Wavre finished runner up. Dolan wins the VIVI Trophy.

Dolan finished 10th on the first stage, 11th on the second and seventh into Saint Nazaire at the end of the third stage. Stage four was abandoned due to lack of wind.

Also in 2020, Dun Laoghaire’s Kenneth Rumball became the eleventh Irish sailor to sail the Figaro.

At A Glance – Figaro Race

It starts in June or July from a French port.
The race is split into four stages varying from year to year, from the length of the French coast and making up a total of around 1,500 to 2,000 nautical miles (1,700 to 2,300 mi; 2,800 to 3,700 km) on average.
Over the years the race has lasted between 10 and 13 days at sea.
The competitor is alone in the boat, participation is mixed.
Since 1990, all boats are of one design.