Please select your home edition
Edition
PredictWind - Routing 728x90 TOP

Irish solo sailor Tom Dolan set for a speed course in the Solo Guy Cotten-Concarneau

by Tom Dolan Racing 13 Mar 2024 04:23 PDT 13 March 2024
Tom Dolan set for the Solo Guy Cotten © Gilles Dedeurwaerder

Ireland's leading solo sailor Tom Dolan goes into his first offshore race of the 2024 season this afternoon knowing the pressure will be on from before the start gun as the 370 miles, 48 hours long course of the Solo Guy Cotten-Concarneau looks set to mostly be a speed course with few tactical opportunities to make gains. The offshore starts at 1200hrs UTC today.

Counting a 14th and an 18th from the first two short, two hours long inshore races which were contested on Monday and Tuesday out of Concarneau, Dolan - skipper of Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan - is looking to establish himself in the leading peloton from the start gun. The course will take the 35 boat fleet north through the notoriously tidal Raz de Sein to turning marks beside Ushant before a long 160 miles straight line reach to the Rochebonnne Plateau SSW of Les Sables d'Olonne where the race turns north again to finish off Concarneau, expected to be very early Friday morning.

"The start will be very, very, very important." Dolan emphasizes, " After that it is all reaching. We go out to the west and there is more wind in the west and so the elastic will stretch, it'll be the boats at the front getting richer and then it is nearly all straight line reaching. Thursday evening there may be some compression at Rochebonne as there is a front coming into Biscay the fleet might close up there again. No matter what on this race it is better to be in front."

It is a course which Dolan knows well and this edition it might prove to be more straightforward with 15-25kts of wind forecast over the period of the race.

Of his opening races Monday and Tuesday Dolan commented, "I would not say I'm off to a bad start but it has not been so good either. It's a shame because there wasn't really any places to gain after the start and the starts were messy with up to three general recalls on one race. The ranking at the first mark just after the starts were often the same as at the finish. Anyway it is good to be back into it, into "race" mode."

Live tracking on tomdolanracing.com

Related Articles

Tom Dolan retires from Solitaire du Figaro
Flying Irishman injured his arm just one hour into the opening stage Reigning Solitaire du Figaro Paprec champion Tom Dolan confirmed this morning that he will withdraw from the third and final leg of the solo offshore race due to an injury sustained early in Leg One. Posted on 21 Sep
Tom Dolan at Solitaire du Figaro Leg 2 Day 4
For the Irish skipper there's good news and bad news Day four of leg two started in light airs for most of the fleet. The leading bunch have passed Cape Finisterre, funneling through a mandatory checkpoint gate added by the race committee, and are closing in Vigo, around 40 miles to the south east. Posted on 19 Sep
Dolan makes western gamble in Solitaire du Figaro
Currently 56 nautical miles (103km) behind the leader Offshore racing is about making educated guesses. You read the forecast, make your plan and sail to it. Posted on 18 Sep
56th La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Leg 2 day 3
Advantage to the Southerners On this second leg of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 2025, between the Bay of Morlaix and Vigo in Spain, two options have taken shape over the past hours. Posted on 17 Sep
Dolan charges on in La Solitaire du Figaro Leg 2
The Kingspan skipper led a group that tacked out west around sunset As the second morning of Leg Two dawns, it's all about positioning out in the Bay of Biscay for the fleet of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec. Posted on 17 Sep
Dolan at front of the pack in Solitaire du Figaro
The fleet are now crossing the Bay of Biscay in Leg 2 Irish sailor Tom Dolan is on the leading edge of the pack in the second leg of the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, with 385 miles (~710 kilometres) remaining in the leg that will finish in Vigo, in northern Spain. Posted on 16 Sep
56th La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Leg 2 start
After a 30-hour delay, the 34 sailors were finally able to head out to sea After a 30-hour delay, the 34 sailors competing in La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec 2025 were finally able to head out to sea and face the elements. At 7 p.m. this Monday, September 15, the starting gun was fired. Posted on 15 Sep
Dolan continues Figaro campaign despite injury
Leg 2 of the Solitaire du Figaro is set to start on Monday evening, after a 24-hour delay Irish Offshore Sailor Tom Dolan starts Leg 2 of the Solitaire du Figaro on Monday evening, after a 24-hour delay due to extreme winds. The 900km leg, delayed to allow dangerous sea conditions to ease, takes the fleet across the Bay of Biscay to Vigo. Posted on 15 Sep
La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec Leg 2 start tomorrow
After 486 miles of a modified course, the Spanish coast will come into sight On Monday, September 15 at 2.45pm, the 34 solo skippers will set course southwards towards the port of Vigo, Spain. A leg already shaping up to be demanding, with a depression forcing the race committee to postpone the start by 24 hours. Posted on 14 Sep
Tom Dolan fights back to solid 6th despite injury
46 minutes behind winner Alexis Loison in La Solitaire du Figaro Leg 1 After 638 miles of racing, the Kingspan skipper came home 46 minutes behind leg winner Alexis Loison, having mounted a strong comeback on the final stretch across the English Channel. Posted on 11 Sep
Zhik 2024 DecemberSelden 2020 - FOOTERSea Sure 2025