Tom Dolan powering through aboard IMOCA 60 Charal in Course des Caps
by Tom Dolan Racing 3 Jul 14:10 BST
Tom Dolan powering through aboard IMOCA 60 Charal in Course des Caps © Marin Le Roux
Irish offshore sailor Tom Dolan is now four days into racing aboard the high-performance IMOCA 60 Charal, skippered by French sailing legend Jérémie Beyou, as part of the prestigious Course des Caps.
Yesterday morning, Dolan and his crew passed a significant milestone, the Fastnet Rock, an iconic waypoint for Irish sailors. Currently lying 6th overall, the team is just 100 nautical miles behind the leading boat, with the race's second half now turning into a full-speed charge toward the finish.
"The stretch up between the Scillies and Fastnet was really tricky," Dolan said. "We had a lot of manoeuvres in unstable winds, tough going. Macif just flew away ahead, and we did the best we could with what we had, watching the others sail off."
But momentum is shifting.
"Now we're in stronger breeze and sailing downwind — this suits Charal really well," he continued. "We've switched to full throttle. That's where we're most comfortable, we saw that in training."
With 20 to 25 knots of southwesterly wind, the fleet is in acceleration mode. Meanwhile, race organisers have made a key course change: rather than rounding the Shetland Islands, the IMOCA 60s will now loop around the Orkneys, trimming 220 nautical miles off the course.
As the newest and one of the most demanding on the IMOCA calendar, this race is now expected to wrap up on Saturday, with a high-speed dash to the finish. And for Dolan, it's a fresh chance to showcase his talent on one of the sport's biggest stages.
Follow Tom during the race