Next Figaro Leg Beckons for Tom Dolan & Joan Mulloy in Kinsale

8th June 2019

The Figaro fleet berthed at Castlepark Marina

Recovering from the baptism of fire that was leg one of the 50th La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro race into Kinsale on Thursday, both Irish entrants, Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy, attended the Skipper's briefing in Kinsale this afternoon as the south coast town greeted the international fleet.

From what is considered the most competitive fleet ever, Yoann Richomme won the opening stage of the 50th La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro. The open, strategic 545-nautical mile leg from Nantes across the Celtic Sea to Kinsale in Ireland proved to be an appropriately testing introduction of the new Figaro Beneteau foil assisted one design yacht.

Dolan Mulloy OCoineen Tom Dolan (left) with Joan Mulloy and her sponsor Enda O'Coineen of the Sunday Business Post

Predominantly light and very changeable winds prevailed through the marathon four days and four nights of racing offering very little opportunity to rest. Expected to finish into the picturesque Irish haven on Wednesday, the stage overran by a full 24 hours.

La solitaire White lady The Skippers Briefing at Kinsale's White Lady night club

Figaro Kinsale1 Tom and Joan give their impressions of the first leg at a public reception in Market Square

Figaro Kinsale1 Jim Lyons of RCYC at the Figaro public reception in Kinsale's Market Square

Figaro Kinsale1

Figaro Kinsale1 Competitor Adrien Hardy, who is from Nantes is a former French 420 dinghy champion and Mini class racer

Figaro Kinsale1 Kinsale Yacht Club Vice Commodore Mike Walsh (right)

Figaro Kinsale1

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Bob Bateman

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Tom Dolan, Solo Offshore Sailor

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.