Irish Sailor Tom Dolan began the defence of his historic Solitaire du Figaro title Sunday,
With a spectacular beam reach start from the Bay of Seine towards the Bay of Morlaix, timing was everything for La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec: Paul Morvan (French Touch – Foricher) was the quickest off the line but slightly too early, forcing him to recross.
That left Alexis Loison (Groupe REEL) to lead around the first mark, chased hard by Jules Ducelier (Région Normandie) and Jules Delpech (P’TIT DUC). Tom Goron (Groupe Dubreuil), showed no nerves and slotted into second at the spinnaker hoist — an early statement from the 18-year-old.
Due to strong winds race organisers have changed the course.
Instead of heading out to round Ireland’s Fastnet Rock, the fleet will now stay closer to shore, crossing the English Channel not one, but four times in the opening leg.
This “old school” style Figaro will be fast, physical, and tactical. Skippers must carefully navigate the strong autumn tides in the channel and busy shipping lanes.
This will require skippers to make crucial choices on each crossing, deciding whether to pass on the left or right of the Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS) based on the wind and tide.
While the sailors enjoyed manageable conditions early on, the forecast promises a steady increase in wind strength, demanding more grit and focus with every mile. The real test is yet to come.
