[Rhodes22-list] Wind forecasting

[Peter Thorn]

Richard,

On the race course one always seeks an advantage.  I've found being in the
right place at the right time, inside on a lift, or the first to sail toward
the new wind, will trump any amount of boatspeed, go-fast gadgetry, etc.

I'm mainly an inland lake sailor.  Occasionally we travel to a lake near
Wilmington, NC, Lake Waccamaw, which is close enough to the ocean to benefit
from a seabreeze.  If the sun hits the land during the day, Lake Waccamaw
will have a seabreeze at dusk -- so the racing runs 3-8pm.  Other than that,
on inland lakes we're stuck with weather systems and puny little lake
breezes.

Sometimes, especially in the spring, weather systems move through and can be
predicted to arrive within a few hours.  That's when I want the best weather
advice available.  To have "insider" knowledge of an arriving front that
others have no clue about will, once in a while, make a huge difference.

I do agree with you about local knowledge.  The Waccamanian skippers know
where and when their seabreeze arrives, and how to clean our clocks with it.

We are planning a 10 day sail around Long Island, starting June 26.  Do you,
or any others,  have suggestion about really great gunk holes on the north
shore?  How about the run down the East River from Hell Gate?  We haven't
quite decided whether or not that part should be attempted.

Any advice would be appreciated.

PT




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Smith" <sailnut at worldnet.att.net>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 9:20 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Wind forecasting


> The NOA broadcasts will give you a GENERAL idea of the winds but that will
> be little or no help when it comes to costal sailing.
>
> During the summer months local effects get overlaid on the overall
> (synoptic) wind flow patterns and distort them enormously.  On Long Island
> Sound it's not unusual to find oneself becalmed while 5 miles away others
> are sailing in a fresh breeze.
>
> Nothing replaces local knowledge.
>
> Richard Smith
>
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