Heaven Can Wait 24-hour Race Wind Forecast by PredictWind

by Nathan May on 2 Oct 2009
PredictWind is fast becoming one of the main wind forecasting tools used by expert sailors around the world. Using topographical maps and high resolution wind forecasting models PredictWind is able to generate a high resolution wind forecast that zooms into the 1km resolution level giving more accurate details for your chosen location.

Most wind forecasters give a wind speed and direction forecast that covers a general area, where as PredictWind allows you to choose your specific location from over 20,000 locations from around the world.

For the Heaven Can Wait 24-hour Race we have selected two locations out of a possible seven that are available for Lake Macquarie in NSW. The first location is near Toronto and the second near Pulbah Island. This allows us to get a highly detailed forecast for either end of the lake.

Here we have been able to use PredictWind’s Wind Maps, Graphs and new Forecast Table, which launches later this month to generate a detailed forecast for the Heaven Can Wait 24-hour Race.

Saturday 3rd October

Toronto: 1100hrs SE winds the two input sources are showing a slight difference in wind speed with the GFS reading 21knts and the CMC reading 26knts.

The wind speed is expected to drop a few knots by midday 1200hrs before peaking at 27knts at around 1800hrs. By 2100hrs the wind direction should have more east in it with predictions showing winds at 120, which is closer to an ESE direction.

Pulbah Island: 1100hrs SE winds 19-21knts. The Wind direction is expected to remain in the SE during the day but will swing towards the East over night with the wind direction at 0000hrs showing 110 ESE.

The wind speed is expected to remain around 21knts with the GFS input peaking at 26knts at 1800hrs before dropping to 18knts by 0000hrs.

Sunday 4th October

Toronto: 0000hrs shows winds at 120 degrees 18-23knts. The wind speed should continue to drop during the day with the CMC input showing winds at 14knts for most of the day and the GFC showing winds averaging 18knts. The wind direction should continue to swing towards the East and sit between 110 and 90 for the remainder of the race.

Pulbah Island: The wind should stay at 18knts ESE for the early hours of Sunday morning however by 0600hrs we begin to see differences in the wind speeds between the input sources. The CMC input is predicting winds to sit at around 14knts until the end of the race while GFS expects winds to remain around 17knts. Both input sources Show the wind tending East by 0600hrs and remaining there until the end of the race.

To get your own PredictWind forecast sign up for your free 30-day trial today at www.predictwind.com