La Solitaire du Figaro Leg 2 Update: Tactical night splits figaro fleet - Dolan charges on
by Tom Dolan Racing 17 Sep 2025 10:24 BST
17 September 2025
La Solitaire du Figaro Leg 2: Tom Dolan charges on © Tom Dolan Racing
As the second morning of Leg Two dawns, it's all about positioning out in the Bay of Biscay for the fleet of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec.
Kingspan skipper Tom Dolan, having initially stayed to the east, led a group that tacked out west around sunset in pursuit of stronger breeze and a beneficial shift to the right deeper in the Atlantic. On paper, it made for uncomfortable reading as Dolan and the group slid down the leaderboard. But at time of writing Dolan was quickly reeling in the leaders who had stayed to the south, taking advantage of stronger breeze from a better angle to drive towards Vigo more than a knot faster than the leading group, which was struggling with lighter airs.
Both groups will converge again today, reshuffling the pack once more. This is all despite Dolan's injured arm doing him no favors during an exhausting night at sea that brought cargo traffic, lulls and squalls, and a dose of painkillers for Dolan to keep him in the hunt.
"I was a bit out of it all day," said an obviously tired Dolan in a morning update on Instagram, apologizing for his lack of updates.
"Yesterday we left with strong wind and a lot of tacks and my arm suffered a bit so I'm a bit out of it this morning. I ended up taking a strong little pill and it kind of knocked me out for a good part of the day. I won't lie, I thought about heading back to port, but no, I'll continue, I'll be careful!"
It's still all to play for, and race organizers are keeping a weather eye on the forecast. The delayed start to the departure, compounded with dying winds en route to Vigo, could well mean a shortened course to keep the entire event on schedule.