Predictwind - A Christmas present for the Sydney Hobart - Updated

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZL on 25 Dec 2015 Latest for the weather trolls from Predictwind (0900hrs on Christmas morning) is that for the TP52's the front should be reduced in duration from about 2300hrs on Dec 26 and will be through about 0900 on Dec 28, and will peak at 31kts average but mostly in the 27kt average.

There is the option to head well offshore and avoid the worst (quickest route) but these always come up and few boats deviate significantly from the shortest distance.

On the supermaxi prognosis, (as of very late last night) the offshore course was showing the race record would have been broken by 5hrs. Now it is still showing as being the fastest for the maxis but taking an hour outside the course record - which indicates there is still a big variation in the data feeds and certainty in the latter stages of the race, around the Tasmanian coast and the approaches to it.

Update: As at midnight on Christmas Day, just over 12 hours before the start of the race, conditions off Batemans Bay were predicted to be a northerly prevailing from the 1300hrs starting time and increasing to almost 40kts in gusts. At the time of the southerly front hitting the fleet, there will be a period of very heavy rain, before the wind settles in gusting to 40kts from the south, and then moderating slowly over the night, as the front passes away.