Tom Dolan Faces Delayed Figaro Finale After Tough Leg

27th May 2026

Afloat.ie Team

The La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec fleet races offshore after organisers postponed the start of the final leg to Le Havre following difficult conditions on Leg 2 Credit: Vincent Olivaud

Irish offshore racer Tom Dolan and the La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec fleet will have extra recovery time after organisers postponed the start of the race’s final leg.

The third and concluding stage, from Pornichet to Le Havre, was due to begin on Saturday, 30 May, but will now start on Sunday, 31 May at 7pm local time. Organisers confirmed the change following difficult conditions on Leg 2 between Vigo and Pornichet, where light, unstable winds significantly slowed the fleet.

Tom Dolan and the Figaro fleet encountered light and unstable winds during Leg 2 from Vigo to Pornichet, forcing organisers to delay the race finale by 24 hours. Photo: Thomas Campion

The leading boats are now expected to arrive from late Thursday afternoon onwards. Race officials said the revised schedule would allow skippers enough time to rest, complete technical inspections and prepare properly for the deciding leg.

Despite the postponement, the race village in Pornichet will remain fully operational throughout the weekend, with public events and sailor meet-and-greet sessions continuing as planned. A Pro-Am sailing event will also go ahead on Saturday afternoon in Pornichet Bay.

All competing skippers, including Dolan, will join invited guests aboard Figaro Beneteau 3 yachts for the exhibition sail. The final offshore stage to Le Havre will decide the overall standings in one of solo sailing’s most demanding championships.

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.