Tom Dolan to line up for Trophée Laura Vergne

Tom Dolan, skipper of Kingspan © Tom Dolan

Between two legs of the 2025 French Offshore Racing Championship, some of the Figaro Beneteau Elite Sailors are stopping off this weekend in La Trinité-sur-Mer to race the Trophée Laura Vergne.

Though not counted towards the season's French Offshore Racing Championship rankings, this double-handed event remains a favourite among skippers. For Tom Dolan, skipper of Kingspan, it's the perfect opportunity to return to double-handed racing alongside his long-time sailing partner and sailing Ace: Gildas Mahé.

Just two weeks after the Solo Guy Cotten in Concarneau, Tom Dolan is back on the starting line for another challenge. The Kingspan skipper will be lining up this Sunday for the start of the Laura Vergne Trophy, It's a race he knows well — last year, he secured a solid 4th place with Paul Morvan. This time, he teams up with Gildas Mahé, a duo that brings both experience and natural synergy. Together, they've already crossed the Atlantic twice and sailed countless miles in training and races.

"We know each other inside out — we've got our routines, a strong rhythm," explains the Irishman. "The goal is to keep improving, to sail cleanly, enjoy ourselves... and if we can fight at the front, of course we won't hold back!"

On board, responsibilities are clearly defined: "Gildas excels at the race starts, so he helms for all the race starts. I take the helm upwind while he manages tactics. When we go downwind, we switch again. It's a constant adaptation — and it works really well."

With a fully prepped boat and a favourable forecast — moderate northwesterlies expected on day one — the pair is aiming to kick things off on solid footing. "It should be fun — a pretty stylish start," smiles Dolan.

A well-oiled team

Since the Solo Guy Cotten, Tom hasn't slowed down. He's sailed alongside three legends of French sailing: an offshore session in double-handed mode with Jérémie Beyou, followed by intensive training with Franck Cammas and Sébastien Col.

"It's incredibly inspiring. Jérémie, Franck, Seb... they're icons, guys who've won pretty much everything. Franck brings unbelievable intensity to everything he does, and Seb is razor-sharp tactically — also a fantastic teacher. I've come away with a lot — new ideas, better techniques, and plenty to apply."

The Laura Vergne Trophy will kick off with one or two coastal courses on Sunday morning, followed by a 48-hour offshore race starting on Monday. And the weather might just shake things up.

"There's a bit of an unstable system coming in, maybe a solid low-pressure area... so we'll be keeping an eye on it. Overall, the aim is to apply the processes we've been working on in training, and do things cleanly."

No excessive pressure — but a real ambition. With solid preparation, mutual trust, and loads of experience, Tom Dolan and Gildas Mahé are clearly among the teams capable of going for the win. A great opportunity to shine in La Trinité, before jumping straight into another classic: the Spi Ouest-France BPGO, kicking off Thursday.