Vendee Globe

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Vendee Globe
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• It is all very well having the right boat and
  skipper but if you get the weather wrong youre
  stuffed in the yacht race on one of our yachts
  you could have two days of intense and
  uncomfortable beating into big winds to get home
  if you get the weather wrong. Lets look at
  sailing with the weather to maximise the fun you
  can have on a trip on a Kavas yacht, and reflect
  on the decisions that have made British Vendee
  Globe entry Alex Thompsons (Hugo Boss) life a
  lot tougher on the first three days of his round
  the world race.

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Read the weather before you go

• Use the best weather forecast you can get before
  you come to Greece. Compare the projections from
  local and international meteorologists their
  opinions may differ but you can make your own
  decisions based upon their collective opinions.

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• In the Vendee Globe, Alex Thompson seemed to
  believe that a High Pressure system would allow
  winds to build from the east, so for the first
  week he planned to sail close to the coast of
  Europe.

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• Arch rival Armel de Cleach on Banque Populaire
  VIII chose a more westerly route. He felt that
  the strongest winds would come from the west due
  to the march of weather systems coming from the
  Atlantic. The night before this blog was written
  Cleach got it right and from a 1.8 nautical mile
  deficit on Thompson hes now 100 nautical miles
  ahead and charging south at 18 knots compared to
  Thompsons 11 knots. 

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What does this to me?

• In the waters in which Kavas Yachting operates we
  have two winds, the Meltemi winds on the Aegean
  and the Maistro on the Ionian. These can blow
  ferociously, and if you get caught by them while
  miles down wind of the Kavas Yachting base youll
  have a real slog to get back to base.

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• If youre reaching in a Force 6 wind then youre
  having a blast. If youre beating into the same
  wind for a couple of days? The hammering on the
  hull and the motion will make you regret your
  decision to ignore the weather forecast!

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Put the hard climb first

• It is always easier to begin a walk in the
  mountains with the hardest climb near the
  beginning. Your legs are fresh and you have the
  energy to do it. You put the worst climb towards
  the end after six miles and the climb will be
  painful and stressful.

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• With sailing you should think the same way. The
  winds generally come from the northeast in our
  part of the world during the summer. Think of
  this as you plan your route around the islands
  could you spend a few days heading northeast and
  get the tough part out of the way ahead of a
  relaxed blast back to base?

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• Generally speaking the Vendee Globe course is set
  the same way. You have nasty westerlies to beat
  into to get out to sea for the first week out of
  Biscay and into the Atlantic (this breaks boats
  by the dozen) but after an uncomfortable start
  the racers can head south, reaching on the
  westerlies across the Atlantic to the Trade
  Winds.

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• (This year was different with perfect sailing
  conditions out of Biscay!) Once south of the Cape
  of Good Hope they head east as the winds blast
  around the world so they ride the weather
  easterly and will get huge mileages every day as
  they charge to Cape Horn and then north to
  champagne and celebration at the end of the race.
  The world record for sailing singlehanded east
  about the world on a monohull is less than 70
  days where the world record heading west is
  around 122 days!

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Keep watching the weather!

• Especially with this years weird autumn weather,
  you have no idea what will happen to the winds
  next week, or really even beyond 2-3 days time.
  The prevailing winds in Greece are from the
  northeast in summer.

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• That means over the last 100 or so years and into
  history it has been fairly reliably from the
  northeast. Climate Change means the weather is
  changing in the UK you normally have screaming
  westerly gales in October but you had sunshine
  and light easterlies in 2016!

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• Alex Thompson based his initial plans on the new
  weather conditions. Cleach based his ideas on
  the prevailing winds. Thompsons gamble didnt
  pay off while Cleachs conservatism paid off.

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• Thompson and his team will be working hard to get
  pinpoint accurate weather for the next 24 hours
  so he can get back into the weather and start
  catching up. All being well he could still be
  home in 65 days time to take victory. The race
  aint over til the fat lady sings!
• For you, do listen to the Greek Coastguard VHF
  radio forecast every morning.

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• Look on the Met Office website from your
  smartphone for the projected conditions in the
  next few days. If youre on a 14 day yacht
  charter with Kavas Yachting this is absolutely
  essential. The weather can really make your
  holiday a success if you use it to your
  advantage. If you dont? The sailing could be
  less fun than the tavernas you visit ashore. It
  shouldnt be youre chartering a yacht with us
  and not taking ferries to island hop

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• To know more information, visit our website

http//www.kavas.com