In the first issue, we asked about your ways of predicting changes in the weather and interpreting signs around
you.
Dave Bowdler, a keen racing sailor, had a few good answers for us:
"When out racing we look at the cloud patterns and the way the clouds are moving. For instance thinly spread clouds at high altitude equal low wind
speeds, so nice sailing conditions, but they also indicate the front edge of a low pressure
system.
Huge clouds that may be light and fluffy are normally associated with a rise in wind speeds and a decrease in
visibility, due to their increased ability to carry excess moisture.
 The photograph taken between Bermuda and the Azores is a high altitude fast moving
cloud, one suspects that wind speeds increased after the picture was taken.
This was not a rain cloud but the type to be found on the edge of a frontal
system.
(Ed: Spot on! The wind came up with a vengeance after a period of
calm)
A rising barometer = shorts / t-shirts / sunglasses weather (high pressure / fair weather
system) with low wind speeds. Not good for racing but good for getting a tan.
A decreasing barometer = mid layer / full oilies / lifejacket / harness (low pressure normally associated with high winds / rain and decreased
visibility, although not always). Brilliant for close racing at high speed, sometimes ends in
tradgedy.
A point about onboard instruments: my boat carries various bits of kit: wind speed monitoring / measuring
kit, barometer
(in the cockpit), wind angles can be logged to see a change in weather patterns, I also have a weatherfax which can be used to download information concerning the next however many hours you
want.
You may be racing round the cans for the day, for example, so you can download accurate information for that single
day, and so on
Also carried is a laptop computer, plugged into the cockpit and connected to all the electrical systems on
board, so that everything can be monitored, saved and played back to the crew at the end of the day's
racing."
Our thanks to Dave Bowdler for taking the time to give us those pointers.
We'd love to hear from you and see any photos you may have of interesting cloud
formations.
How do you get weather information aboard your vessel? Do you use any specialised equipment in trying to determine what the weather will do
next?
How satisfactory is the information received from different sources? How much notice do you take of the natural signs around the boat and how much do you rely on electronic
information?
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