Irish Skipper Tom Dolan Faces Injury as Leg 1 Figaro Endgame Begins

10th September 2025

Afloat.ie Team

Tom Dolan competing in the Solitaire du Figaro

Tom Dolan navigates the challenges of the Solitaire du Figaro despite his left-hand injury, striving for a strong finish.

Irish Sailor of the Year Tom Dolan is facing a hand injury as he races in the Solitaire du Figaro. Despite the setback, he remains competitive in 8th place, just 3.9 miles behind the leader on Wednesday, September 10th at 10 am. It's a significant overnight climb back up the rankings from 16th place 24 hours earlier.

Dolan sought medical assistance for his wrist after the race commenced. The fleet medic provided guidance on strapping his injury, allowing him to continue.

As the fleet sails across the English Channel, strong squalls with winds tipping 30 knots have challenged all competitors. Dolan is part of the leading group, moving towards the Needles Fairway buoy off the Isle of Wight.

The race resumed at the Daffodils mark off Dieppe on Tuesday afternoon. Participants had to regroup as the breeze faded, creating a moment of tension and frustration.

The leaders, including 19-year-old Tom Goron from France, are anticipated to reach the penultimate waypoint by 10 am British Time.

After a brief pause, the fleet, now tightly packed, set sail again towards the next mark near Cherbourg. As they approach the Needles buoy, forecasts indicate strong upwind conditions and significant swells from the Atlantic.

Published in Tom Dolan, Figaro

Published in Tom Dolan

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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.