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Weather & Strategy...

Knowing what the weather is going to do can be a huge advantage on the race course, and leads into the next part of your pre-race preparation - forming an appropriate strategy.

Extreme Weather - a Cloud Wave during the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race
© Carlo Borlenghi: Extreme Weather - a Cloud Wave during the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race



Featured Articles

  Winning the Fastnet #2: Walking the Course ***

In the second part of our Winning the Fastnet series, top navigator and meteorological consultant Mike Broughton walks and talks you through the 608-mile course of the Rolex Fastnet Race...
  Winning the Fastnet #1: 10 things you must get right ***

Mike Broughton first did the Fastnet Race as a 17-year-old. It was 1979, the year that severe storms battered the fleet and 15 lives were lost. Like most of the fleet, Mike didn’t reach the Fastnet Rock that year, but he was undeterred and has competed in virtually every Fastnet since then. Mike offers some advice not just on navigation but on the many different areas of preparation that a team should undertake before embarking on the Rolex Fastnet Race. Most of his advice applies to competing safely and successfully in any offshore race.
  Sea Breezes #4 - Some sea breeze idiosyncracies ***
In the final part of her sea breeze series, weather girl Fiona Campbell looks at some of the more unusual types of thermal effect that you might encounter on the race circuit...
  Managing the Local Wind Effects

Managing the Local Wind Effects while Racing at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week The central Solent has a reputation as being a complex place in which to sail, but many of the local wind effects are not difficult to figure out. Rupert Holmes looks at Solent Sea Breezes and Norris Nadgers.

 
  Making gains on cross tide reaching and running legs

Making gains on cross tide reaching and running legs A downwind or reaching leg across the tidal stream is sometimes an inevitable part of Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week courses which requires a couple of simple techniques to ensure the minimum distance is sailed, as Rupert Holmes reports…

 
  Making sense of Singapore
Singapore TrafficJust how did Morgan Larson and his team on Alinghi make sense of such seemingly random wind conditions at Singapore. They won the Singapore leg of the Extreme Sailing Series in 2013 and 2014, and the cool Californian's stay-out-of-trouble approach to this whacky racing seems the way to go. Andy Rice was there and has this analysis of the conditions and the lessons to be learned...
  Tips from the Top from Cowes Week 2012 Winners

Tips from the Top from the 2012 Winners of the White GroupWhat are some of the common mistakes made when racing at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week and what does it take to be a winning team? Rupert Holmes gets the low-down on a 5-point plan from Matt Alexander and John Raymond who won the Redwing Class and White Group overall in 2012 with Harlequin....

 
  Sea Breezes #3 - The Effects of Gradient Wind **
In the third of our sea breeze series, met expert Fiona Campbell looks at how gradient wind and sea breezes interact with each other.
  Sea Breezes #2 - A Day in the Life **
In the second of our sea breeze series, weather guru Fiona Campbell walks through a day in the life of a typical sea breeze.
  Sea Breezes #1 - The basic ingredients **

In the summer, thermally driven breezes play a significant part in coastal weather. In this series of articles on sea breezes, meteorology expert Fiona Campbell looks at the essential facts that every sailor needs to know about sea breezes, why and when they happen, and how they can affect your strategy on the race course.
 
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