Tom Dolan - Kingspan Sailing

13/06/2026

Rescue mission accomplished! 🙌

It has been ten days since our Figaro Kingspan ran aground on Île de Sein, while Tom Dolan was was arguably the race of his life in La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec .

🩹Since then, the priority has been to find ways to protect the boat from the tides and the surrounding rocks, while waiting for the spring tides that would give us the opportunity to free her from the area.

At 2:00 p.m. this Saturday, 13 June, Tom and a great team finally succeeded in extracting the boat and righting her in sufficiently deep water.

What a moment of joy and relief!

She is now on her way to Port-la-Forêt, where extensive repair work will be carried out to get her back into shape and ready to take on the rest of the season 👊

A huge thank you once again for all your support. It has meant the world to us 🫶
Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland France Classe Figaro Beneteau Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Dubarry Sailing Dubarry of Ireland

10/06/2026

Hello everyone,

It’s been one week since our accident and it’s time we all gave you some quick news.

Things have been hectic for all the team, but we wanted to thank you all so much for your many messages of support, and we will try to take the time to reply to you all.

I’ve been lucky, I’ve been shipwrecked on one of the most beautiful and welcoming places I have ever been 🤗 Thanks so much to all the residents of the Ile de Sein, most importantly the Les Sauveteurs en Mer - SNSM for standing with me all night on the beach and for watching over the boat. To the Cross Corsen and the French Navy helicopter crew who came to get me. Thanks to the Hotel Ar Men for putting us up as such last notice, and a special thanks to Jean-Luc, Yann and Stan for being there every day.

❤️‍🩹 The boat is in very good condition, the starboard foil, the keel and the starboard rudder served as Martyrs and have protected the hull, which is still completely intact. This was unimaginable as the boat was lying on the rocks for over 36 hours before the weather conditions moderated enough for us to get to the Isle de Sein.

All of the sails have been recovered and we were able to empty the boat completely.
She is gently rested on top of an isthmus, between l’ile de Sein and Kelaourou and we managed to jack her up and protect the hull with some tyres generously given to us by Eurotyre in Concarneau.

🎯 The plan is to wait until the next big high tides and gently float her off at her current angle of heel by installing inflatable diving buoys under the keel and pulling a rope on the top of the mast.

Thanks so much to Guillaume and Charlotte in Vendée Seine assurances for being so reactive and supportive.

Thank you Gildas Mahé, the man in the shadows, for being the back bone of all of this.

Thank you to everyone in Kingspan for the waves of messages you have all sent. Thank you Gene, Denis and Peter for your continued support in this difficult moment.

Despite this mishap it was the best race of my life, I’d never been so much in the zone, but unfortunately, I hit the wall on the winning lap. These things happen in sport.

We will all bounce back quickly and strongly.
Thank you all so much for your support 🙏

Tom.

Classe Figaro Beneteau La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Dubarry Sailing Irish Sailing Guy Cotten

03/06/2026

“I don’t know what hurts the most today.”

The sea is generous with moments of triumph, but it can turn in an instant. On Tuesday night, while leading both the third and final leg of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec and the overall standings, Irish skipper Tom Dolan ran aground on the Sein reef. What had looked like a near‑certain second title dissolved within minutes.

🇮🇪 The story of that unfortunate night can be found here 👇
https://tomdolanracing.com/en/tom-dolan-contraint-a-labandon/

🇫🇷 Le récit de cette triste nuit est à retrouver ici 👇
https://tomdolanracing.com/tom-dolan-contraint-a-labandon/

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

Tom Dolan : « Je ne sais pas ce qui me fait le plus mal aujourd’hui » La mer offre parfois de magnifiques histoires. Elle sait aussi les interrompre sans prévenir. Dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi, Tom Dolan s’est échoué sur la chaussée de Sein alors qu’il évoluait aux avant-postes de....

03/06/2026

🚨 Tom Dolan Forced to Retire

While sailing at the front of the fleet alongside Loïs Berrehar (Banque Populaire), Tom Dolan (Kingspan) ran aground at 00:16 on the Chaussée de Sein, just a short distance from Beg ar C’hale on the Île de Sein.

The skipper initially tried to free his boat on his own, but was unsuccessful as the tide was falling. Assisted by the Île de Sein lifeboat crew (SNSM), Tom deployed both of his anchors in an attempt to stabilize the boat and manoeuvre her free on the rising tide. Unfortunately, he was unable to escape the situation.

After five hours of effort, at 5:40 a.m. this morning, the Irish skipper was airlifted by a French Navy helicopter as conditions had become dangerous for both him and his boat.

The skipper is safe and will be brought ashore.

Sadly, the Irish sailor’s race ends here, and his hopes of securing a second victory come to an end in Brittany.

More information to follow.

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

02/06/2026

Some fantastic shots of Tom offshore near Groix Island this afternoon. 📸⛵

They really highlight the tough conditions the sailors are currently facing out on the water. 💪🏻
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02/06/2026

Day 2 of racing on Leg 3 of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec !

After rounding the BXA buoy around midday yesterday, Tom opted for a slight move to the west, which proved to be a smart choice. It allowed him to reach stronger wind sooner than the others!

Since then, Tom has been on fire, leading the fleet towards the tip of Brittany in strong winds. For now, there are few strategic positioning opportunities—it’s mostly a pure speed race, and Tom is performing exceptionally well. 🚀 But caution is needed: his competitors are close behind and pushing hard!

Things are set to become more challenging as the wind continues to build. The sailors will need to be sharp in their manoeuvres and precise in their boat handling.

Go Tom! 💪⛵🔥

Follow the race : https://www.lasolitaire.com/cartographie

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

01/06/2026

A look back in images at yesterday’s magnificent start in Pornichet Bay.

“It’s just another leg.” That’s the little phrase the Kingspan skipper kept repeating to himself over and over again to approach this third stage in the best possible mindset.

👉 Stay calm, keep doing what he’s done since the start, sail with a clear mind, and enjoy it! That’s what Tom will be trying to do as he aims to deliver his best performance on this final leg.

The sailors left Pornichet yesterday at 7:00 p.m. and are currently heading towards the BXA buoy, off the Gironde estuary, in lightening winds. Once they round it, they’ll set course for England and the English Channel in much stronger winds! 💪

Tom is currently in 10th place, just 1.8 nautical miles behind the leader. Go, go, go! 🚀

https://www.lasolitaire.com/cartographie

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Romain Marie - Photo/Vidéo
Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Classe Figaro Beneteau Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Dubarry Sailing La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec

31/05/2026

And they’re off! Our sailors have headed out to sea 👋
Many thanks to them for this amazing start 🤩

Wishing them fair winds, and for us landlubbers, let’s follow their race on the tracking map 👀🗺️

👉 https://www.lasolitaire.com/cartographie
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Romain Marie - Photo/Vidéo
Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Classe Figaro Beneteau Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Dubarry Sailing

31/05/2026

Vivez en direct le départ de la dernière étape de La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec depuis Pornichet, en direction du Havre ! Vous pourrez suivre les Figaristes sur un parcours côtier avant qu'ils ne mettent le cap au large pour une étape de 630 milles.

Le dénouement d'une édition soutenue et haletante.

31/05/2026

Final leg let’s gooo !

With 630miles between Pornichet and Le Havre, the fleet now faces the decisive final stage of the 2026 La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec the longest leg on paper, yet one that could prove the fastest 🚀

💬 “It’s going to be complicated at the beginning and intense at the end,” Tom summarises with his usual conciseness.

The first real test will arrive quickly on the route to BXA, where the fleet must negotiate a ridge of high pressure and easing winds conditions ripe for both regrouping and costly setbacks. Once through the ridge, the race will change character entirely…🫣

🇮🇪 More infos : https://tomdolanracing.com/en/complique-au-debut-copieux-a-la-fin/
🇫🇷 Lire la suite : https://tomdolanracing.com/complique-au-debut-copieux-a-la-fin/
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Romain Marie - Photo/Vidéo Kingspan Group Dubarry of Ireland Classe Figaro Beneteau Irish Sailing Guy Cotten Dubarry Sailing