Irish Sailing sends its support to Tom Dolan following an unexpected end to his 2026 Solitaire du Figaro campaign after the Irish skipper was airlifted to safety by the French Navy in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The incident brought a premature conclusion to what had been an exceptional performance by the Kingspan-sponsored sailor. Having won the opening leg of the race and entered Leg 3 in strong form, Dolan had been delivering one of the most impressive offshore performances of his career.
Since leaving Pornichet at the start of the leg, he had successfully navigated a demanding course featuring light winds, active weather systems and challenging tactical decisions. By his own assessment, he was sailing some of the best Solitaire racing of his life.
Following the incident, local rescue services, including the SNSM lifeboat crew from Île de Sein, worked alongside Dolan in efforts to save the boat. Attempts were made to anchor and await a rising tide, but deteriorating conditions and increasing swell ultimately made recovery impossible at the time.
After several hours of effort, the CROSS rescue coordination centre made the decision to airlift Dolan from the vessel shortly after 5:40am on Wednesday morning.
Despite the disappointment, initial assessments of the Figaro 3 Kingspan have provided some encouragement, with no major structural damage or significant leaks reported. Recovery efforts remain ongoing, although favourable tidal conditions will be required before any refloating attempt can take place.
The outcome is a cruel end to a race that had promised so much. However, Tom's determination, seamanship and resilience throughout the campaign have once again demonstrated why he remains one of Ireland's leading offshore sailors.
While the 2026 Solitaire du Figaro may be over for Tom, the story is far from finished, and the Irish sailing community will be following developments closely as efforts continue to recover the boat and prepare for the next chapter.