Tom Dolan: “I wouldn't be surprised if things turn out like they did on the first leg”

Smurfit Kappa - Kingspan - Tom Dolan © Alexis Courcoux

After arriving in Gijón on Thursday, Tom Dolan and his fellow competitors in the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec are already getting ready to set sail again.

This Sunday, 1st September, at 2 p.m., they will set off on the second leg of the event.

The route of this leg was slightly modified yesterday by the Race Direction due to the light weather forecast to the north of the Spanish coast. Gone is the mark off Cape Finisterre. Instead, the skipper of Smurfit Kappa - Kingspan and his rivals will round the Sisargas archipelago near La Coruña.

"The course has been reduced from 615 to 515 miles, but it's still interesting. It's nice to start out going west, despite everything, and to discover new little islands," commented the Irishman, who is expecting a tricky start to the race.

"It's not going to be easy to get away from the Cantabrian coast. I think the first few miles are going to be pretty long. There's going to be a lot of work to do to get the boat moving. In this context, the start is going to be important, especially as during the night, a small front will pass over us. Those in front will be the first to hit the wind, so they'll be able to get away," explained the navigator, who should be able to cope with 25 to 30 knots for a few hours, before continuing with what could look more like a speed race than anything else.

"In the Bay of Biscay, between the north-western tip of Iberia and Royan, it's likely to be a bit of a straight run. The models aren't quite set yet, but I think it's going to have a lot to do with the trajectory. So we're going to have to keep a close eye on the weather," emphasized Tom, well aware that the final miles of the race are likely to be crucial in turning the tide.

"At the finish, the wind will probably be very light. Everything will depend on the movement of a small stormy low-pressure system. If this is the case, it's likely to be complex, because at the mouth of the Gironde, currents are always strong, especially in this period of high tidal coefficients. I wouldn't be surprised if it ended the same way as the first race, i.e. if we all arrived at the same time or nearly so", recounted the sailor, clearly quite well rested and still perfectly determined to elbow his way to the front.

"Over the last two days, I've managed to get a good night's sleep and I've been to the physio twice. I can't wait to get going again!" concluded Tom, who should be at the finish line between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, according to the latest routing.