PredictWind- HSBC Coastal Classic update

by Richard Gladwell on 24 Oct 2008
Strong winds from the north are predicted to hit the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic fleet on Friday evening. The predictions are varied for the start on Friday morning but firm up later in the day and evening, with strong headwinds peaking at around 2200hrs off Cape Brett.

The analysis from two separate weather feeds shows some variance at the race start of 1000hrs. However as the day progresses into night the feeds become more aligned, indication that the probabilty of the strong head winds hitting the race fleet are high.

At 0800hrs on the morning of the race, a Gale Warning has been issued for the Cape Brett area - 'Northeast 25 kts rising to 35kts this morning and easing to 20kts from the NW in the evening. Sea very rough for a time. Northerly swell rising to 2metres.'

Further south the news is less dramatic with winds of 20kts rising to 30kts in the afternoon predicted for the Cape Colville area.

Winds at TiriTiri Island are averaging 21kts gusting 28kts and the trend has been for them to increase since 8.00pm last night. The direction is from 024, which means a dead beat north for competitors.

Conditions further north are more mild, with winds averaging less than 20 knots outside the outer Hauraki Gulf, however at Cape Reinga the average is 37kts gusting 47kts from the ENE.

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