Tom Dolan off and racing in La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro on Smurfit Kappa
by Tom Dolan Racing 3 Jun 2019 00:33 BST
2 June 2019
Solitaire URGO Le Figaro Leg 1 starts © Alexis Courcoux
Irish solo racer Tom Dolan stuck to his game plan on Smufit Kappa and made a solid start to his second La Solitaire URGO Le Figaro today as the 47 strong fleet started from the Bay of La Baule in the west of France in 12 knot south-westerly winds heading for Kinsale via the Fastnet Rock.
Dolan suffered a technical problem with his rig and had to return to Le Havre last year, just 90 minutes into his race. But today's start to the four stage, month long 2115 nautical miles four leg marathon was problem free.
After a week in the fierce sunshine of the city of Nantes on the Loire river it was almost as if the weather turned on cue to be more like what his French rivals would normally associate with the south west of Ireland.
Light drizzle was not far away when the start gun sounded at 1425hrs local time and the skies were overcast and grey.
This 50th edition of the annual French solo racing pinnacle event has attracted most of the host nation's leading names. Consequently there was a big spectator fleet on the water and the beaches and coastline around the bay were lined with hundreds of spectators.
The 550 miles first leg to Kinsale takes the fleet southwards on a close reach or beat tonight to round a mark at Bourgenay off the Vendée coast before climbing back northwards to pass the westerly point of Brittany and then the Scilly isles before rounding the Fastnet and finishing in Kinsale late Wednesday or in the small hours of Thursday morning.
"The options look to be a little less extreme than they maybe looked yesterday which has to be good for us all on this leg. There will be a split but it won't be so big. I feel like I have a good handle on what the weather is likely to do. But the pressure will be on as the first one to get out to the west once the front and the ridge are gone, will benefit. There will be more wind the earlier you get to the Fastnet so you can't be late. That is important." Said Dolan as he left Nantes this morning.
"Nantes has been fantastic but I want to get racing."
Follow the Leg 1 tracking on www.lasolitaire-urgo.com/cartographie