La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec - Tom Dolan channeling experience in demanding first leg
by Tom Dolan Racing 9 Sep 2025 11:22 BST
9 September 2025
Tom Dolan - La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec © Tom Dolan Racing
This revised Leg One course sees the fleet criss-crossing the English Channel and its busy commercial traffic several times, leaving little opportunity for sleep or rest of any kind as the sailors dodge tankers, ferries, fishing boats and other craft.
It's a long, demanding leg where experience and resilience will be the key factors as the racers are forced to change gears repeatedly and manage their fatigue to make smart decisions at every turn.
At daybreak on day two of the race the fleet was heading eastwards towards Dieppe, still on that long downwind leg from Cornwall across the English Channel. With very light breezes, the leading group has been in constant turnover through the night. Kingpsan skipper and reigning champion Tom Dolan is lying in 16th place, still very much in touch with the leaders as they approach the Daffodils mark, their next turning point. The fleet will compress dramatically as they round the mark and head west, with strong current against them and a forecast for the wind to die off further. This could well force much of the fleet to set anchors as they await better breeze or less negative tide, rather than be dragged backward in the current. Patience, opportunism and intelligent decision-making will be called for.
This leg could well take the sailors beyond four days of solo racing to complete, making it a real test of mental endurance even at this early, tactical stage in the race. By Wednesday evening, when the fleet will hopefully be heading south for Roscoff, strong westerly winds are forecast, meaning that at the point of maximum exhaustion, racers will face the most physically demanding conditions on a cross-channel blast reach. Experience and stamina will likely be what separates the fleet by the end of Leg One.
Distance to finish: 334 miles
Position: 16th (4 miles from leader)
Next turning point: Daffodils Mark off Dieppe - 16 miles away