Five Sailing Wind Secrets for Speed and Power!
Did you know that sailing wind thermals can form over water to help cruising sailboats make faster passages? Or that winds blowing on or offshore can form swirling, high octane eddies? Use these five secrets to give you faster, safer coastal sailing passages...
Heavy onshore winds cause waves and winds to ricochet off of steep cliff walls. Stay well offshore to avoid dangerous gale force winds and seas!
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1. Use shoal-thermals to gain distance
As the land heats up in the morning, the warm air rises and creates a virtual "hole" underneath. Cooler winds from the sea flow inshore to fill the hole. But few sailors know that secret breezes surround shallow water shoals! Coral reefs, mud flats and sand bars often lie close to the water surface. Like land, they tend to warm faster than the surrounding water. Thermals rise from the water surface and cooler breezes fill in beneath. Use these sailing breezes to beat the competition if you're racing, or make faster passages if you're coastal cruising. 2. Calculate sea-breeze strength
In the afternoon, onshore winds--called sea breezes--increase in strength. In the morning, look skyward to determine how strong the sea breeze might be by mid afternoon. Clear skies allow the sun to heat the land with full force, so you can expect a strong afternoon sea breeze. If clouds block the sun, the sea breeze will be weak. 3. Expect gusty onshore winds near steep headlands
Avoid sailing too close to a steep shoreline. Onshore breezes hit the face of a land mass and bounce back to create a swirling eddy near shore. These high powered gusty winds could create havoc for small sailboats. If light winds blow onto a gentle, sloping shoreline, stay a quarter mile away. If winds blow onto a steep shoreline (cliffs, mountains), stay at least a mile away. 4. Watch out for gusty offshore winds
Imagine winds tumbling down the face of a cliff like a snowball, gathering speed as they roll toward the sea. When these winds slam onto the sea surface, they can produce gale force winds (over 30 knots). When cruising in areas where high cliffs or mountains reside close to the coast, use great caution when the marine weather forecast calls for offshore breezes. Stay far out at sea and reef your sails ahead of time for sailing safety. 5. Take advantage of cat's-paws
Early morning thermals drift like lazy bubbles on a hot, summer day. The air ahead of these thermal bubbles is light and variable. But just behind the thermal, you will often find gusts--called cat's-paws--50% higher than the true wind speed. Cat's-paws appear as rough, dark patches on the water. Sail toward the patch and set your sail trim for a lift as the gust arrives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now you know five important marine weather wind characteristics to give you an edge over the competition. Use these secrets to ramp up your speed for faster, more enjoyable coastal sailing passages. Find this article informative? Want access to hundreds of sailing tips and instructional videos? Click here for more info!
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