OCEAN RACING AND WEATHER ROUTING - Ocean Racing and Cruising Weather Routing
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
OCEAN RACING
AND
WEATHER ROUTING
Ocean Racing and Cruising Weather Routing
What do we need to go Ocean Sailing, Racing or Cruising? • There are many things to consider to put together a successful Offshore Sailing or Racing campaign • The Owner • The Yacht • The Crew • Safety Equipment & Compliance • Preparation • Training and Practice • Navigation & Weather knowledge – Weather Routing
The Poor Boat Owner • An Enthusiastic Owner with an Offshore Capable yacht for the level of Ocean Racing/Cruising competition envisaged. • Don't make the game beyond the capability of the Players, financially for owners, physically for all.. • Do a smaller yacht campaign well, rather than bigger yacht campaign half cocked. • Build by starting with Short Term Goals, and a Long Term Goal. Much like an ocean race itself, with each leg a Short Term Goal, with the Long Term Goal the combination of all Short Term Goals. • A successful campaign comes with Preparation, plus a lot of other factors. The 6 Ps relate to yacht and crew personally, and training practice, even at night/overnight for longer offshore races. • Proper/Prior Planning and Preparation Prevent Poor Performance.
The YACHT • Know, Know, Know Your Boat! • Not only the Owner but all crew familiar with the yacht above and below deck • Where is it? Can you find it? (Stowage Chart) • Can You Fix it? Tools and Spare Parts(Water Pump Impellor, Jumper leads, Fuel and Oil filters, Spare Oil, Coolant, V-belts.) • Waterproofing for companionway or dodger (Solid dodger) • Good sea berths, lee cloths • Good Ventilation, Fans for Tropics
The Yacht continued • Electrical and Electronics System knowledge • Communication Sat Com HF radio YB Tracker DSC Iridium GO • Engine Charging System knowledge • Galley and cooking facilities • Rigging , Running and standing
The Crew Pool • Crew for all the positions on the yacht • Back up crew persons for when regulars are unavailable • Owner(Skipper) and Crew qualifications requirements SSSC, First Aid, Radio Operators Certificate etc • Crew Allergies, Medical conditions management
Crew Personal Equipment (if not provided) • Wet Weather Gear, Including Sea Boots, appropriate to the job (ie Bowman smock) • Harness and tether • Head torch with Red Light function for Night Vision • Knife on lanyard. ( Leatherman type) • PLB, MOB AIS • Personal Electronic Flare • Torch • Thermal Clothing • Sea Rug
Preparation • Safety Compliance • The bottom, antifoul sprayed, and light wet & dried • The Mast tuned and running rigging checked and marked • Calibration Chart, marking of halyards, sheets, tracks • Sails checked, tell tails, leech ribbons, batten tensions • Don’t get oversold on sail wardrobe. • Instruments checked, calibrated, log checked, cleaned, Compass Swing –Deviation Chart • Sail chart, sailing targets from VPP or Polars
Preparation Continued • Instruments checked, calibrated • Log checked, cleaned • Compass Swing –Deviation Chart • Sail chart, Sailing targets from VPP or Polars • Crew training and Practice to be efficient.
SAFETY • Equipment for Safety Category Compliance • ORWA Yellow Book • Sea Safety Survival Certification • First Aid Certificate • Radio Operators Certificate of Competency(VHF & HF) • Personal Safety Equipment (PLB etc) • Life Raft ( Location and security and launching if inverted) • Secure Stowage of heavy gear, Anchors Batteries etc for Knockdown or Inversion • MOB Practice & Recovery system
HEALTH FITNESS HYGIENE • Have a suitable fitness regime • Try swimming in Wet Weather Gear if you haven’t done the SSSC • Be considerate of others and Shower before a race and take a Deodorant (even footwear deodorant.) • Wet Ones Wipes for refreshing during race • Buy a Piss Bottle, add a lanyard • It is sometimes easier to relax and get the flow going when wedged against a bulkhead and stable below, rather than risk trying to hang on with one hand at the stern of a bucking yacht.
Galley and Provisions • Galley useable at Sea • Pressure Cooker • Galley Strap • Meals that can be reheated, or eaten cold in heavy weather • Cryovac precooked Meals vs Freeze Dried • Foods palatable to all crew, (not spicy, and allergies catered for?) • Snacks & Fruit, Chocolate, Nut and Mars Bars etc • Simple Food (Honey or Jam Bread and Butter sandwiches) • Cheese and Biscuits, Shapes, Tomato Sauce, Precooked Potatoes etc
Sea Sickness Prevention • Keep warm, dry, well fed, hydrated with proper meals regularly, and snacks between • Rest is important, so good sea berths • Plan B for heavy weather, easy prep food pre-cooked to reheat or able to eat cold. • Cook in advance of bad weather • Seasickness recovery plan
TRAINING AND PRACTICE • PRACTICE WELL BEFORE THE EVENT • PRACTICE MOB DRILL AND RECOVERY SYSTEM • PRACTICE MANOEUVRES AT NIGHT • HEADSAIL CHANGES, SPINNAKER PEELS (or Bare headed), MAINSAIL REEFING • CHANGE TO STORM SAILS(at Night) Learn to balance the yacht, and sail to windward
More on Training and Practice • During training, move crew into different roles during training so they understand and can back up when required • Best person for the job, ie Light air helmsman, trimmer, vs Heavy air • Watch system- Rolling or overlapping for consistency in handover • Handover Brief with Navigator so all on same page • Design watch system around Skeds if Navigator also part of the Helmsman rotation, or Navigator Floats.
Navigation • Navigation Software with Weather Routing - Expedition, MaxSea, Adrena.. • Spend time learning how to use effectively, efficiently • Weather Routing Pre Race Planning is important to know what conditions to expect during the race( Sail Selection, Provisions, Water Fuel etc) • Subscriptions to non free Weather data – PredictWind, TideTech • Internet access for Weather Data Downloads- Phone Modem, Iridium GO, Satellite • Instruments interfaced and Calibrated for good input data
Navigation Station • Equipment secure • Chart Plotter • Computer, secure and Interfaced with Chart Plotter & Instruments • Navigators strap(for windward side operation on some yachts) • Night operation – (Red) Night lighting (Plus Torch Head light) • Log Book (Wet Notes or Tradies Notebook for wet hands) • Spare Reading/Magnifier glasses for tired eyes • Navigator’s Survival pack(Drinks, snacks etc) • Towel • Fan, Ventilation
WEATHER ROUTING
EXPEDITION NAVIGATION AND SAILING SOFTWARE
• www.expeditionmarine.com/What is Weather Routing and Why Use It? • Weather Routing is a calculation of the Yacht’s Predicted Performance based on the available Weather Data models and the Yacht’s Polar or VPP data. • Performance Percentage against Polars can be varied up or down • Helps you make informed decisions, where to go on the Course • Stripchart helps identify Trends in TWD and TWS changes, and identify Currents COG vs HDG • Plan ahead for Sail changes on a leg and at Mark Roundings • Multiple routing algorithms • Display multiple optimum routes for various Weather models.
Weather Routing continued • Optimal fleet routing • Ensemble Routing - Multiple weather model routing • Optimal route sensitivity • Wave corrections and avoidance • Motoring calculation for Fuel consumption when Cruising/Delivering • After racing there could be a (Short handed )delivery back to home port, or cruising. • Having racing experience, along with Weather Routing makes you a better, more efficient cruiser able to react quickly and safely to most situations for Safer Offshore passages
Data required for Weather Routing • Charts – AUS ENC shown, also reads C-Map and other Raster BSB Formats, and also Geo referenced Images SAT2CHART • A Route or Course with Marks/Waypoints (with a required side) • Race Notes (Exclusion Zones - Areas to avoid) • Yacht’s Polar file • Yacht’s Sail Chart and Sail list • Weather Data in GRIB format, Wind and Current, Waves • Start Date and Time
The Route • 190914 Foundation Race C2
Polars • King 40
Polar Edit • Edit Window
Sail Chart Sample
SailChart • KND example
Sail List • Sample
Weather Data • Downloads
Weather Display • Low Res ICON
Weather Display • Hi Res WRF
Meteogram • Graph
Meteogram • Table View
Optimal Settings • Start time
Optimal Ensemble • Multiple Weather Models
Optimal Results • Routing Solutions
Optimal Results • 14-1200 comparison
Optimal Results • Table
Optimal Results • Graph
Playback • Foundation Race 2018
Stripchart • Data Analysis and Averaging
You can also read
