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 Being
able to read the weather and good sailing go hand in glove together.
The most critical factor is wind strength and direction, but temperature
and visibility are also important elements.
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."
That means she’ll be working
hard during the 2004 games in Athens to get her forecasts just right.
Related links:
Weather A-Z: Beaufort
Scale
Royal Yachting
Association
UK Sailing
Academy
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