Fastnet Navigation

1. Fastnet Navigation Nat Ives - RORC May 5 2009

2. AGENDA • Aim of the course • The role of the navigator offshore • Pre-race prep • On the race track • Routine and log • Competitor tracking • Weather and strategy updates • Performance monitoring

3. Course to Sail Strategy Competitor tracking Sailing Instructions Notice of Race Rules Protests Instruments Performance data Start and nav software Weather Tides or currents Class regs Safety regs VHF comms Crew Weights Sail crossovers Sail hours Hazards Shipping (lights) Role of the offshore navigator

4. Pre-Regatta Prep - Admin • Notice of Race • Governing Rules – esp. Weather sources & IRPCS • Programme • Race Course • Registration • SI’s • Reporting • Time Limits • Penalties – esp OCS (two-turns penalty allowed, 50% place for OCS) • VHF and SSB channels • YC facilities • Start and End – Where are you berthing?

5. RORC Comms Regulations 5(d) VHF AND RADIO COMMUNICATIONS (SEE ALSO 6(b)) Sailing Instructions may request yachts to send position reports during a race. There is no limit on communication from a yacht provided the yacht does not receive information (other than that publicly available to all) which might help her in the race – see RRS41 - (outside help). A yacht may receive information about severe weather without infringing RRS41 (outside help).

6. Pre-Regatta Prep – the Race Track • Waypoint lists for route, hazards, and lights • Weather • Forecasts sources - GRIB Files • Live Data • Historical Data - climatology • Topography • Roadmap? • Tides or Currents • Reference ports • Sources of data e.g. SHOM • Charts • Check up to date • Know symbols Create a daily timetable based on the above, run preliminary routes to highlight key points of race area

7. Waypoints – other than obvious headlands • Start and Finish lines • Shambles (E&W) • Eddystone • Runnel Stone • Longships • Wolf Rock • Seven Stones (light and rock) • Scilly Isles outlying rocks • Bishops Rock • Weather stations (Channel Light Vessel and Air Strips etc)

8. Climatology – e.g.Culdrose vs Scilly

9. GRIB Files • Electronic compressed data file with forecasted or actual data on a grid • Important to know • Source – compare models • Forecast time and publish time usually in UTC • Resolution (1 deg, 0.5 deg, or hi-res) • Data height – normally 10m • How the data is calculated and displayed – beware interpolation • Sources • www.grib.us (free 1 deg and 0.5 deg GFS/AVN data) – check spaghetti plots • www.saildocs.com (free 1 deg data) • Higher res data is normally paid for e.g. Theyr, PRO-GRIB etc – if paid for then NOT in public domain so illegal for RORC races after start • www.predictwind.com • http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/grids/data/ Quik Scat analysis GRIBS • Global GRIB data can overestimate early and late in the day, does not account for topography and sea breeze • Check reference height for data – normally 10m • UKMO and MeteoFrance do not do free GRIB so use graphical output as reference

10. Bermuda Race Daily Schedule UTC • 0630 3 Day Basic + Sat Analysis • 0700 Posns • 0830 Avn Model • 1100 Gulf stream Sat Pic • 1200 Daily SSB Broadcast • 1230 3 Day Basic + Sat Analysis • 1430 AVN Model • 1500 Posns + Quikscat • 1830 3 Day Basic + Sat Analysis • 2030 AVN Model • 2300 Posns + Gulf Stream Satellite Pic • 0030 3 Day Basic + Sat Analysis • 0230 AVN Model + Quik Scat

11. Live Data Sources Use to update forecast and track features • www.xcweather.co.uk • UKMO • University of Wyoming - http://weather.uwyo.edu/surface/meteogram/ • CEFAS WaveNet buoy data • Satellite imagery – good for fronts • MCA VHF broadcast – Frank’s Weather pages – weather.mailasail.com • YOU!! And a your instruments - barometer

12. Instruments, GPS, Radar, Comms Calibration (depth etc) & Operation (MOB Procedure, target tracking, charts, sunrise etc) Spares Polars and Sails Nav polars Sail Crossovers Nav equipment Compass & Binoculars NavNotes & Log Checklists Charts Almanac & Tidal Stream Atlas Pre Race prep – the boat.

14. 0 TWA 6 3 90 Boatspeed TWS=5kts TWS TWS=10kts TWS=15kts 180 The Polar Curve • Mathematical model of performance, Boatspeed vs TWA, TWS • Designer’s tool, modified with ‘real’ sailing data • Varies according to local conditions and situation • Consider bumps in curve

15. VMC To WP Polars • Tie them in with Sail Crossover chart • Think about VMC options. • Check actual performance againstpolars all the time. • VMC heavily affected by sea state • Is TWS at masthead • what is GRIB ref height? • Is polar for masthead height?

16. Optimum Route Planning • Theoretical route that is fastest to the finish based upon • Weather forecast (GRIB) • Polars • Current (GRIB or Database • Cautions • Only as good as your inputs • Try to judge the sensitivity of the route by running with slower polar or shorter forecast • Can be driven equally by last day of forecast as much as first (where as forecast is more reliable for early on) • Use gut feel to estimate route first

17. Optimum Route Planning 3 2 1 A B

18. Tidal Route – Farr 80 Swan 45Ker 32

19. Navico PowerPoint template Tidal Route – Ker 32 TWD, TWS (base 230, 10kts)

20. Navico PowerPoint template Sources of Tidal Data www.wileynautical.com

21. Navico PowerPoint template Sources of Tidal Data • Winning Tides – Solent • UKHO and SHOM data for Channel and Irish Sea • Wiley Nautical Almanac

22. During the race • If you can be out of watch system then you can set your own routine. Link with tactician/skipper at key times to decide on course to steer. • Convey course to steer with context – e.g. Sea state etc, likely changes in conditions and sail changes. When you need to be called • Re-run routing after each forecast and update using observed conditions and satellite imagery • Track competitors online, visually or with radar (note bearings at dusk). Use this to help with forecast through implied winds. • Track performance of boat against predictions and adjust navigation polar accordingly or if you loose a sail.

23. Fastnet Navigation Nat Ives - RORC May 5 2009