Wind Forecasting 101

Duration: 2 hours
Access: 30 days

Weather is important to sailors, but no aspect is as crucial as the wind. It dictates when it is safe to leave port and whether your journey will be fast or comfortable. On the race course, properly predicting the wind separates the winners from the losers. Accurately forecasting the wind allows you to plan faster, safer, and more enjoyable passages.

This presentation will examine the forces that control the wind and review a variety of resources that will improve your ability to predict its speed and direction. Small-scale and short-lived systems such as sea and land breezes and thunderstorm downdrafts will also be presented. The skills learned during this presentation will enhance your understanding of the wind and improve your boating experience. 

• Plotting Barometric Pressure 
• Wind Around Highs & Lows 
• Estimating Wind Direction From A Surface Weather Map 
• The Pressure Gradient Force 

• Thermally-Driven Winds

• Lake-Sea Breezes

• Land Breezes 

• Thunderstorm Downdrafts 
• Wind Forecasting Resources