Tom Dolan - Kingspan Sailing

Tom Dolan - Kingspan Sailing Skipper of Figaro ''Kingspan''. Winner of the 2024 Solitaire du Figaro From a young age Tom worked with cattle and sheep in the wind and the rain and the mud.

It was in 2009 that Tom left for France with a dream of racing across the oceans, a world little known of in Ireland, especially coming from a small farm in the Northeast of Ireland. Aged 9, on a small lake not far from his home, he first took to the water in a little wooden dinghy which he and his father had renovated. Unfortunately, as it remains quite an inaccessible sport in Ireland he left sa

iling behind and spent his teenage years in pursuit of a normal life, career and job. But in the back of his mind he always felt a yearning for the sea. In 2020, his third season in the Figaro class, he made the breakthrough that he had been working towards for all these years finishing 5th overall in “la Solitaire”, just under 30 minutes from the podium after three weeks of intense racing. This amazing and un-precedented result by any Irish skipper secured him visctory of the VIVI Trophy for the first non French skipper, 6th place in the French Elite Offshore Racing Championship as well as the crown of Irish Sailor of the Year.

Time for some serious thinking!On this second day of racing, we can tell you that brains are working overtime offshore o...
07/09/2026

Time for some serious thinking!

On this second day of racing, we can tell you that brains are working overtime offshore of Portugal! 🧠💨

The big challenge over the next few hours will be figuring out how to negotiate a high-pressure ridge approaching Cape Finisterre. The sailors’ goal is to find the wind shift and tack at just the right moment, in order to pick up the best breeze and make it past Cape Finisterre without any trouble.

But what’s the right moment?

On board Kingspan, just like on the other 20 boats still racing in this second leg of L'Aventura - Course au large , there must be some serious head-scratching going on! 🤯

The fleet is still incredibly tight this evening, with Tom and Gildas in 9th place — and everything is still up for grabs!

Follow the race here : https://www.laventura.live/cartographie
Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Classe Figaro Beneteau Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Dubarry Sailing

Leg 2 - Day 1 - L'Aventura - Course au largeThe boats continue their upwind climb along the Portuguese coast ⦚ The fleet...
06/09/2026

Leg 2 - Day 1 - L'Aventura - Course au large

The boats continue their upwind climb along the Portuguese coast ⦚ The fleet is incredibly tight, with Tom and Gildas currently in 9th place, just a little over a mile from the leader 👊

The rankings keep changing, with plenty of small strategic moves, and it looks like it could stay this way all the way to the finish at Île d’Yeu. We’re certainly not done with the surprises yet!

The wind should gradually strengthen as they approach Cape Finisterre. The atmosphere on board must be quite different from yesterday 😉 The race is well and truly underway 💥

🗺️ https://www.laventura.live/cartographie
Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Classe Figaro Beneteau Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Dubarry Sailing

05/09/2026

The moneytime onboard Kingspan 😍

There was very little wind off Lagos this afternoon, forcing the race management to slightly postpone the start. It was ...
05/09/2026

There was very little wind off Lagos this afternoon, forcing the race management to slightly postpone the start. It was therefore not until 4:22pm that the 20 Figaro boats crossed the start line and set off on the second leg of L'Aventura - Course au large , heading for Île d’Yeu.

783 nautical miles to cover, with the race still more open than ever 🤩

Head over to the race tracker so you don’t miss a thing from this race, whose overall winner we’ll know in six days’ time if everything goes according to plan 😉

👉 https://www.laventura.live/cartographie

Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Classe Figaro Beneteau Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Dubarry Sailing

Small gains for big ambitions 👊Recovery time is over and it’s time for Tom and Gildas to head back out to the open seas....
05/09/2026

Small gains for big ambitions 👊

Recovery time is over and it’s time for Tom and Gildas to head back out to the open seas.

🏁 ⌚️ This Saturday at 2:00pm (Irish Time) the second and final leg of L'Aventura - Course au large will commence taking sailors 783-miles back up to the Île d’Yeu.

A different profile from the long diagonal route via the Madeira archipelago they faced in leg one. Instead, they must beat up the Portuguese coast in winds that could reach 20–25 knots, navigate a transition zone off northern Spain and finally unleash the boat’s speed on a downwind run to the finish.

💬 « It should go pretty fast, about five or six days, we are both well rested and so we’re heading back out in good shape. » And they will need to be, while shorter it will be a lot more intense.

« I don’t really see any major strategic choices. The main thing will be getting a good start, because the opening phase is crucial. We should have fairly light winds at the start, then the breeze should gradually fill in from ahead. After that, it’s about picking the right tacks along the Iberian Peninsula and sailing well. »

A high-intensity game of incremental gains, with the likelihood that the fleet will remain tightly packed right to the end. And for Tom and Gildas sitting in fourth place after the opening leg having regained their speed and seamless coordination, staying in contention is crucial for the pair.

« The idea is simply to sail well, do things the way we know how and then see how it turns out. »

🔚 If the forecasts hold true, the finish should take place on Thursday off the Île d’Yeu. Between now and then, every opportunity will be worth seizing even the smallest one 🧐

French version: https://tomdolanracing.com/gagner-petit-pour-voir-grand/
Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Classe Figaro Beneteau Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Dubarry Sailing

🇮🇪 Eight Days Offshore Gives Kingspan the Ultimate Test👉 An incredibly wet and windy offshore leg forced Tom and Gildas ...
03/09/2026

🇮🇪 Eight Days Offshore Gives Kingspan the Ultimate Test

👉 An incredibly wet and windy offshore leg forced Tom and Gildas to alter their watch system to just one hour at a time, conditions too miserable to bear for any longer. The relentless exposure left both sailors with blistered lips and soaked-through gear. It’s exactly the kind of test that a longtime pairing like theirs is built for years of racing together meant they could adapt watches and rest on the fly, simply by knowing one another’s needs so well.

The full race debrief is here : https://tomdolanracing.com/en/huit-jours-pour-retrouver-le-fil-et-presque-le-podium/

🚨🚨 Start postponed to Saturday, September 5:
14:00 local time
15:00 French time
13:00 UTC
Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Classe Figaro Beneteau Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Dubarry Sailing

FINISH FLASH!! 🚨Tom and Gildas have crossed the finish line of the first leg of L'Aventura - Course au large in 4th plac...
31/08/2026

FINISH FLASH!! 🚨

Tom and Gildas have crossed the finish line of the first leg of L'Aventura - Course au large in 4th place, just 47 minutes behind the winner and less than 2 minutes behind the third-placed boat!

What an incredibly thrilling finish! The two sailors gave it everything they had in an attempt to make up the miles needed to move onto the third step of the podium, but to no avail. The competition is fierce!

The Franco-Irish duo certainly has nothing to be ashamed of. They put in a fantastic performance after 8 days, 16 hours and 52 minutes of racing. Up at the front for almost the entire race, the duo proved that they can be serious contenders on the return leg, heading towards Île d’Yeu, with the start scheduled for September 6th 🔜

💬 Their first words : “We’re delighted to be here — it’s a real celebration at the finish! It really was L’Aventura from start to finish; the race certainly lived up to its name! It was lively, intense and wet!

The adventure also meant rounding Madeira without stopping, then turning back and heading into three days of upwind sailing… That’s L’Aventura too!

And the good news is that we didn’t break anything! The sails are in perfect condition and the boat is doing great. We’ll be able to make the most of our stopover in Lagos before heading back out.

We really enjoyed ourselves, especially with such a great battle right up to the finish.”

See you very soon for the full debrief! 👋
Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Classe Figaro Beneteau Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Dubarry Sailing

L’Aventura – Day 7The 18 boats still racing are continuing their long, long beat towards the finish line.Tom and Gildas ...
30/08/2026

L’Aventura – Day 7

The 18 boats still racing are continuing their long, long beat towards the finish line.

Tom and Gildas are in 4th place tonight, with the podium within reach 🫣 The Franco-Irish duo will need to stay fully focused and keep an eye out for every little adjustment that could help them gain a few precious tenths of a knot 💥

In just a few hours, they should start catching the delicious smell of grilled sardines 🐟😋 Their ETA is now looking like tomorrow evening 🙌 We have no doubt that the Portuguese L'Aventura - Course au large teams will give them a very warm welcome!

Never give up! 💪

👀https://www.laventura.live/cartographie
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📸 Romain Marie - Photo/Vidéo
Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Dubarry Sailing Dubarry of Ireland France Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Classe Figaro Beneteau@

L’Aventura – Day 6With the finish line getting closer, the final stretch is shaping up to be long and gruelling 🥵Almost ...
29/08/2026

L’Aventura – Day 6

With the finish line getting closer, the final stretch is shaping up to be long and gruelling 🥵

Almost the entire fleet has now rounded Porto Santo, off the coast of Madeira ✅
The sailors are now sailing upwind in fairly strong winds and a well-formed sea, heading towards Portugal. Conditions on board are unlikely to be ideal, and it’s safe to say the fleet is probably starting to get impatient for the finish 😏

5th overall, Tom and Gildas are right in the mix, with the fleet still incredibly close together. They’ll need to stay fully focused and continue sailing cleanly and efficiently, just as they have done since the start.

The first ETAs are becoming clearer, with the first boats expected to arrive in Lagos on Monday afternoon, August 31st!

Come on Tom and Gildas — keep pushing, leave nothing out there! 👊

👀 https://www.laventura.live/cartographie
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📸 Romain Marie - Photo/Vidéo
Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Dubarry Sailing Dubarry of Ireland France Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Classe Figaro Beneteau L'Aventura - Course au large

Day 5 - L'Aventura - Course au large « Hello, shore crew! Well, here we are — it’s early morning on board Kingspan! 🌅Eve...
28/08/2026

Day 5 - L'Aventura - Course au large

« Hello, shore crew! Well, here we are — it’s early morning on board Kingspan! 🌅

Everything is going really well on board. We’ve been sailing neck and neck with Article 1 and MACIF for a good 24 hours now. We’re happy that the wind has eased off — it’s much less damp on board.

We’ve had time to get changed, eat, sleep and properly dry out. We’ve also managed to dry the boat out, which is taking on quite a lot of water! 💦

Every now and then, we also spot Victor and Paul on board CMB Espoir not too far away on AIS. The race is far from over — in fact, it’s getting really interesting!

We’re reaching at the moment, with a beautiful sunrise and the moon setting. I’m on watch on my own, and it’s absolutely lovely out here. 🤗

🧐 We’ve got a bit of weather routing to work out, figuring out which side to pass to the south of the island before going through the southern gate and then heading towards Lagos.

Alright, bye for now, shore crew! 👋 »

--> https://www.laventura.live/cartographie
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Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Dubarry Sailing Dubarry of Ireland France Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Classe Figaro Beneteau

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