Dylan Collingbourne
14 Jun 2025
"A mixture of short and long course racing. Looking top end with some big gusts, big spring tides which will be cross course, think where you start on the line and the course to sail downwind."
Key Weather Details
Wind: 17/18 knots gusting 20/26 from SW
Tide: High water 15:18 (5.37m) - currently on springs
Water State: Choppy conditions for majority of the day with wind over tide, especially as we are on springs. Expect a possible shore dump on high water with the gusts peaking in the late afternoon.
Temperature & Precipitation: 20 degrees rising to 24 at 15:00 with a little bit of overcast in the morning and then sunnier conditions from midday.
Other Notes: It is planned that there will be a mixture of sprint and longer course racing, make sure you know the courses as these are different and will be the same worth of points according to the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions.
The gusts seem to be quite big on some models! If we look into the AROME model, it seems to be reading a little under the rest but is still showing up to 20-22 knots from the SW. It is a day with the tide and the wind over each other, where it will be quite a predictable day. There will be a long fetch in the wind so shouldn't be too shifty, and many of the models saying that the wind will be quite stable in direction all day.
For the long course racing:
Something quite high on the priority list for the longer course racing will be tide and gusts. Both will highly affect the racing and the overall finish position. Try to pick a side of the course to help favour you and stick to the side. Also, keep eyes out for the gusts and some models are towards the red, they may hit the fleet by surprise, but if you are ready for it, you will gain!
No course boards will be displayed.
For the short course racing:
As racing is moving towards the sprint racing format (target time is 20 minutes), the start is proving to be vital. Make sure you start well and complete that first beat to the best you can and most likely from this point, it will be a follow the leader around the course. Make sure you:
Are first row
With speed
Space for a trigger pull
Towards the right end
Day Breakdown
Saturday:
Morning | Early afternoon | Late afternoon |
15-16 knots gusting 16-21 SW 20 degrees Overcast cloudy weather with sunny spells | 17-18 knots gusting 20-24 SW 21 building to 24 degrees As the tide comes further in, could be choppier towards the deeper water Sunny | 18-20 knots gusting 24 SW 24 degrees dropping to 19 Choppy on the tides highest and possible shore dump Sunny |
Tactical Considerations
On the lead up to the racing, keep a close eye on the local weather station at the end of the pier. This will give you some idea of the live weather just before you hit the water. Bear in mind that the wind is due to increase all morning.
Make sure you layer up on suncream as it will be very sunny and warm in the afternoon and it will be many hours on the water. Also don't forget:
Water
Snacks
Cap/visor
Sunglasses
UV layers like rashvests to protect from burns
With SW wind and tide coming in, it is likely we will see some cross tide across the course, so remember to start down tide and this gives you the controlling position for the upwind legs. For downwind, make sure you judge the shifted layline correctly and always remember to reverse flow.