Tom Dolan Starts Leg 2 of Figaro Despite Hand Injury

15th September 2025

Afloat.ie Team

Irishman Tom Dolan prepares for Leg 2 of the Solitaire du Figaro, facing strong winds and recent injury. Dolan is the current champion and first non-Francophone winner. One of the most experienced skippers in this year’s fleet, this is his eighth time participating in the Figaro Credit: Vincent Olivaud

Irish sailor of the year Tom Dolan is set to begin Leg 2 of the Solitaire du Figaro on Monday evening (September 15th). The race was delayed by 24 hours due to extreme winds.

The 900-kilometre leg crosses the Bay of Biscay to Vigo in northern Spain. The start is scheduled for 7:00 PM local time, allowing Dolan some extra recovery time after injuring his hand in the first leg.

Dolan damaged his hand just an hour into the opening leg. He overcame this obstacle, finishing sixth after starting in 20th place. He was awarded the Fighting Spirit Award for his performance and was also the Vivi Trophy winner for the first non-French entry.

Medical evaluations revealed severe bruising, but cleared him to continue racing with no need for surgery. "I’m feeling very good about the second leg," Dolan remarked.

He noted that while leaving Roscoff could be challenging with 25–30 knots of wind and waves of 4 to 5 metres, conditions will improve in the Bay of Biscay.

The fleet should encounter lighter winds and face new strategic challenges. "My biggest goal is to stay lucid," Dolan said, referencing the importance of smart navigation during the race.

Dolan starts Leg 2 with a 45-minute and 57-second deficit to leader Alexis Loison.

Published in Tom Dolan, Figaro

Published in Tom Dolan

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Tom Dolan

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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.