Southern Straits 2019

1. Southern Straits 2019 Tactics and Strategy

2. Top 10 Tips…. • Practice time and distance to start line – don’t socialize before start • Rested crews in good physical condition get better results • Fewer mistakes than your competitors = success • Distance races typically won at night, not during daylight hours (raise the intensity level after dark – this race is a full court press – no watches) • Eat healthy snacks often & drink lots of water - consume caffeine judiciously • Be attentive – monitor boats around you, clouds, sea state, smoke on shore, etc. • Hand bearing compasses & 7 x 50 binoculars are your friends – use them to track competitors at night (deck nav-lights or tri-lite? Dim or bright?) • Sail within your crew’s ability – some of us simply can’t push boat or crew like our competitors – know your limitations • Stay relentless to the finish - you can always climb back in this race given the geographic challenges on this race course • Sail with people you like and have fun!

4. Currents – First Narrows – April 19 & 20

5. “A River Runs Through It”..take 51!

6. Tides and Currents at Start First Narrows Turn Time Max Vs Turn Time Max Vs Turn

8. Relative Tide Times in Other Areas **For other areas in the Strait use the above times and SUBTRACT depending on the info below. *Note that velocity of current will most likely be less than those above; POINT ATKINSON: DEDUCT APPROX 15 MINUTES GIBSONS: DEDUCT +/- 20 MINS HALFMOON BAY (MERRY ISLAND): DEDUCT +/- 22 MINS FALSE BAY (SISTERS ISLET): DEDUCT +/- 12 MINS WINCHELSEA ISLETS: DEDUCT +/- 10 MINS SILVA BAY: DEDUCT +/-13 MINS NANOOSE BAY: DEDUCT +/-10 MINS NANAIMO: DEDUCT+/- 14 MINS

9. An EBB..in Howe Sound

13. …Beware the Dangers of Whiskey Golf at night…

17. Conditions leading to Qualicum Winds Pat Wong Environment Canada Pat.Wong@ec.gc.ca Sisters Islet

18. Qualicums are typically a plume of winds from just south of Chrome Island to Qualicum Beach

19. Qualicum winds.. • Typically occur as part of the daily pattern on the Strait of Georgia in the Spring/Summer • Occur when a large ridge of high pressure lies to the west of Vancouver Island or just after a front has crossed the area as a ridge of higher pressure builds to the west of Vancouver Island. • Winds are pushed into Barclay Sound and up the Alberni Inlet. The strong winds push across Horne Lake and out onto the Strait of Georgia near Qualicym Beach. • Typically have a fairly sharp edge.. Mariner can go from light winds outside the plume to 25 to 30 kts within the plume. • Typically form late in the day and ease off overnight

20. Diurnal Winds (daily wind pattern) Late afternoon Widespread Northwesterlies

21. Diurnal Winds Early Evening Winds on the southern strait ease

22. Diurnal Winds Qualicum winds develop

23. Diurnal Winds Easing off Overnight / early morning & northwesterlies redevelop

24. Comparison to a much broader stretch of winds typical behind a winter storm

25. Forecasts and observationslisten on the VHF or check weatheroffice.gc.ca marine section for “Strait of Georgia – north of Nanaimo” Listen for winds from autostation at Sisters Islet & Ballenas Island & Lightstation on Chrome Island Sisters I. Lightstation reports

26. Fyi..The following slides are a Review of the other wind patterns in the Strait • ridge is the red wavy line. • Trough of low pressure is the blue lineThe blue circle shows the general flow pattern • (wind blows around the topography from higher pressure to lower pressure)

27. Northerly Pressure-slope 340-030 deg.

28. Northerly pressure-slope pattern Fog in area of light winds and no fog in area of stronger northwestwinds

29. North-Easterly Pressure-slope 030-080 deg..Squamish!

30. Easterly Pressure-slope 080-130 deg.

31. Southeasterly Pressure-slope 130-170 deg.

32. Southerly Pressure-slope 170-210 deg.

33. Southwesterly Pressure-slope 210-240 deg.

34. Westerly Pressure-slope 240-340 deg.

35. Wind and air pressure The winds that flow because of pressure differences are called pressure gradient winds, or as described in “The Wind Came All Ways” – An excellent resource on Weather on the South Coast of BC by the late Owen Lange.

36. Weather patterns Offshore ridge Approaching front Post-front - coastal ridge Interior ridge

37. Long Course Legs - Bearing & Range

38. Helpful Links for Building Your (winning, not whining!) Strategy.. • USEFUL WEATHER LINKS FOR RACING & FORECASTING… • http://www.predictwind.com/ • www.sailish.com *(Thursday Evening Pre-Race Updates!) • http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=3610 • http://www.sailflow.com/ • http://www.bigwavedave.ca/ • http://www.atmos.washington.edu/mm5rt/rt/gfsinit.4km.html • http://weather.wsu.edu/awn.php • http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~ovens/loops/wxloop.cgi?mm5d1_slp+///3 • http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/ • http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/vizaweb/ • Windy APP • Pocket GribAPP • http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~marka/on_the_fly_meteograms/ • http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/marine/forecast_e.html?mapID=03&siteID=14305 (Strait of Georgia) • http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/marine/weatherConditions-lightstation_e.html?mapID=03&siteID=14305 (Current Weather at Bouys in text format)