After earning the Irish Sailor of the Year award for 2024 last night, Tom Dolan has announced his ambition to join the starting line of the 2028 Vendée Globe.
This solo single-handed round-the-world sailing race, non-stop is regarded as the ultimate test of ocean racing — a challenge that is as physically grueling as it is mentally demanding, where only the most battle-hardened manage to complete the journey.
Vendee Globe campaign costs, including the purchase cost of an IMOCA 60 yacht, run into several million euros.
After seven seasons in the notoriously demanding Figaro class and having cut his teeth in the Mini class, Tom Dolan is ready to take on a new chapter. His goal? To become the first Irish sailor to finish the Vendée Globe.
Nicknamed “the Flying Irishman,” Tom Dolan has carved out a singular path in the world of offshore racing. Hailing from a farm in Ireland—where he first discovered sailing away from the elitist circles—he built his career in France, at the very heart of the elite offshore racing circuit. By winning the Solitaire du Figaro, one of the toughest races out there, he proved he is among the best of his generation.
No Irishman has ever completed the Vendée Globe (even though Enda O'Coineen unofficially completed the course in 2018). While Ireland has produced many great sailors, none have yet managed to see such a colossal project through to the end. For Tom Dolan, this challenge transcends the sporting realm: it’s an opportunity to shine a spotlight on Irish sailing on the world stage, to inspire a new generation, and to demonstrate that with grit and hard work, anything is possible.
“When I was a child, I’d watch these sailors set off to circumnavigate the globe on their own, and I thought it was reserved for a select few. Today, I want to show that no matter where you come from, with hard work and passion, you can achieve great things.” said Tom Dolan.
