Tom Dolan Withdraws from Final Leg of Solitaire du Figaro

21st September 2025

Afloat.ie Team

Tom Dolan withdraws from the Solitaire du Figaro race Credit: Adrien Francois

Tom Dolan, the reigning Solitaire du Figaro Paprec champion, has announced his withdrawal from the third leg of the solo offshore race. The decision comes after an injury he sustained early in Leg One, and he finished 25th in Leg Two last Friday.

Dolan injured his arm just an hour into the opening stage. Despite the injury, he finished in sixth place, earning the Suzuki Fighting Spirit Award for his remarkable comeback from 20th position.

His team decided to proceed to Leg Two, managing the pain with medication. However, the injury worsened and showed no signs of improvement. The side effects of the painkillers began to affect his sailing abilities, his team said.

The arrival in Vigo at the end of leg two, without any strapping on his previously bandaged left hand, might have been interpreted as an encouraging sign, but, alas, hours later, the Irish Sailor of the Year announced his withdrawal.

Heavy conditions are forecasted for Leg Three. Dolan, after consulting with his medical team, prioritised safety, stating, “I am just not capable of going around it. It would be pure suffering.”

Dolan now plans to focus on recovery, with the intention of returning stronger in future competitions.

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.