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Irish skipper Tom Dolan won the Solitaire du Figaro solo multi-day sailing race on Thursday after three gruelling days at sea.

The 37-year-old rider crossed the finish line in western France in his Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan on the third and final stage in seventh place, after more than three days and 15 hours of racing.

Frenchman Lois Berrehar, who is leading Macif 2022, won the final stage, after also winning the first stage in Gijon in Spain.

But a delay at the finish of the second stage in Royan, France, cost the 30-year-old Berrehar his victory and he finished second overall.

“I still can’t really comprehend what just happened,” said Dolan, winner of the second stage.

“Today is truly a dream come true.”

Frenchman Gaston Morvan finished third of the day and third overall.

On Sunday, 37 competitors set off from Royan towards the French Atlantic coast and the Bay of Biscay towards Spain and then towards England, where they encountered windy conditions.

“It was really bad. I would even say it was a little scary,” Dolan said.

He is the third non-French participant to win in 55 editions, after Belgian Joan de Kat in 1970 and Swiss Laurent Bourgnon in 1988.

The race is seen as one of the main springboards for offshore races such as the Vendee Globe and the Route du Rhum.