2014-07-10: Routing for the PCup - for a slow and fast boat

Based on GRIB data from today

The Pacific High is nicely formed, although shifted a bit to East. However, it is forecasted to move south a little bit (not shown here, but available from Cirrugator) and get in the way of the sailors.

As an example, best routes for a "slow" boat (Cal 40) are shown as well as for a "fast" boat (Santa Cruz 50). The race will be moderately slow, with 14 days and 12 days, resp. One reason is - yet again! - a slow start for the first 1-2 days.

Click the pictures to see the race analysis (boatspeed, windspeed, windangle versus course) in the bottom part of the big picture

The routes are rather typical for the boat types. Take the rhumbline SF-HI for orientation (white, thin line in the graphs): the slow boat dips below that line and in the middle of the race goes north of it. The fast boat goes really deep below that line, and stays south of it. At the end, on the great circle distance of 2070nm (yellow, thin line in the graphs), the slow boat will have travelled 2200nm, while the fast boat will have gone 2400nm. Obviously, the wind is better more south, but you need to be able to go faster speed to make up for covering the greater distance.

PCup routing for a Cal40
for departure on 2014-07-10 0000 UTC

Click on the picture for the complete graph!

PCup routing for a Santa Cruz 50
for departure on 2014-07-10 0000 UTC

Click on the picture for the complete graph!

Animated wind
2014-07-10

from: http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-135.55,33.17,1025

Pacific Surface Analysis
2014-07-10

available in Cirrugator -> WCharts