Tom Dolan and Crew Finish Fifth in Beneteau Figaro 3 French National Championships

11th October 2022

Tom Dolan called up French former Match Race world champion Bertrand Pacé – a multiple America’s Cup sailor and coach who is one of the coaches for his solo offshore training programme in Lorient – to steer for the crewed championships Credit: Qaptur/Classe Figaro Beneteau

Irish solo offshore sailor Tom Dolan and his French crew sailed to fifth place in the Figaro Beneteau 3 French National Championships, which were raced over the weekend off Lorient, Brittany. Racing Dolan’s Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan, the crew were lying in second place overall going into the last race for the 18 boat fleet but a tenth dropped them down the fleet.

Dolan called up French former Match Race world champion Bertrand Pacé – a multiple America’s Cup sailor and coach who is one of the coaches for his solo offshore training programme in Lorient – to steer for the crewed championships, with Gildas Mahé sailing as tactician. Benoit Hantzberg and Dolan trimmed and did the pit.

“We were just a little disappointed to have been in the frame near the end then finishing up with that one bad result. But in this fleet fifth is fine. Inshore, windward-leeward racing is not really my forte but it was great to sail with Bertrand and learn a lot which I can put to good use in the future.” Enthused Dolan.

The annual championships were contested over eight windward-leeward races and a 25 mile short inshore around the Groix island.

“It was a lot of fun to do and a nice way to end the racing season.” Concluded Dolan who will now step in to help with the onshore weather routing for a giant French Ultime on the upcoming Route du Rhum.

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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.