Tom Dolan takes second place in the IMOCA 60 Class at the Rolex Fastnet Race
by Tom Dolan Racing 30 Jul 2025 08:48 BST
Tom Dolan takes second place in the IMOCA 60 Class at the Rolex Fastnet Race © Tom Dolan Racing
Irish sailor Tom Dolan, skipper of Figaro 3 Kingspan, wrapped up his season with Team Charal on a high note, securing second place in the IMOCA 60 class at the centenary edition of the prestigious Rolex Fastnet Race.
Dolan and the Charal crew delivered an impressive performance in a fiercely competitive race, going head-to-head with Association Petits Princes-Quéguiner almost the entire way from Fastnet Rock to the finish line in Cherbourg.
In the end, they finished just two miles behind the winning boat, skippered by the IMOCA class's newest talent, 29-year-old Elodie Bonafous. The light winds near the finish ultimately played to Association Petits Princes-Quéguiner strengths in such conditions.
"We're really happy with how the race went," said Dolan. "We put a lot of work into weather routing and strategy beforehand, and a strong start gave us great momentum. Fair play to Petits Princes-Quéguiner—they raced us hard all the way to the finish."
He added, "It can be tough on your mentality racing neck and neck for so long, especially during what turned into a 300-mile match race downwind from the fastnet. But funnily enough, it was Figaro sailors racing against Figaro sailors on both IMOCA's. We're all used to hard-fought battles and the wind dying at the end with everyone finishing tightly packed."
This result marks a significant confidence boost for Dolan as he prepares to defend his title in the upcoming Solitaire du Figaro. The first leg of the 2025 edition sets sail from Rouen on September 7th.