Sailing and Weather

From beginner to Olympic standard competitor, all sailors know that it's vital to check the weather forecast before boarding a boat. "We teach from the start to get a reasonable forecast for the area you're going to be in, for the period you're sailing," says Dinghy Instructor for the UK Sailing Academy, Jeremy Waitt.

For people who race or sail small boats or dinghies, that period of time may be just a few hours. But having the right information can be critical, as meteorologist to the British Olympic sailing team, Fiona Campbell says: "The sailors need to know what conditions they will be facing before they even leave the dock." She explains: "They want to set their rigs to the right tensions and take the right sails."

Once they're on course they'll need to know where the strongest winds are and whether it's best to head in or off-shore. "My job involves looking for these wind bends and bands," says Fiona.

Sailors who are plotting a longer journey on a yacht, for example, will be on the water for a number of days. Where they go will depend on which way the wind is blowing. But safety is also a huge concern: "You can't sail into wind," says Cathryn Burnett, Cruising Manager for the Royal Yachting Association. She adds: "Lives are lost at sea because of weather conditions." With this in mind the RYA's Yacht Master qualification includes a weather paper.

Conditions can change quickly, so it's helpful for even the novice sailor to be able to read the signs. Dinghy Instructor Jeremy Waitt teaches his pupils how to gauge wind speed: "If flags are flapping, you've got a force 2 or 3 (on the Beaufort scale). If there are white, foamy crests on the water, then it's a force 4 or 5." And he advises them to watch out for gusty off-shore winds, which can indicate storms further out to sea.

But it's not just wind that sailors need to be aware of. Low air and sea temperatures can be dangerous too, especially if you don't have the right protective clothing and equipment. The reason for this is that body heat is lost more quickly in water, or if wind blows onto a wet surface. "If the temperature drops, and it gets windy and you fall in the water, then you've got problems," Jeremy says.

For slightly different reasons, Fiona Campbell says it's crucial for the Olympic sailing team to know what to wear: "They must have the right clothing on so they don't get too hot and sweat, or too cold, so they don't work to their best."