Conference unifix::sailing

    I recall reading about the Gulf Stream and how serious racers did,
    in fact, use the core eddies. My recollection is... 
    
    The eddies are located with infrared photos taken from the weather
    satellites. These photos are available to the public and the serious
    racers pay people to analyze the photos and tell them where the eddies
    are. You only have to do this just before the race because the eddies
    don't move that quickly.
    
    Ed

    In races such as the Marion-Bermuda (cruising type boats) and 
    Newport-Bermuda (professional racers) much of your success is
    determined by how well you use the gulfstream. 
    
    Some boats will try to ignore it by crossing as quickly as possible,
    attempting to go straight across but most will be trying to predict
    where the favorable eddies are to get the slingshot effect. It stands
    to reason that a current which could match your boat speed could
    do a lot of harm or good depending on which way you're heading in
    it. Weather briefings prior to the start include the latest NOAA
    information on the location of the stream and predictions as to
    where it'll be when you get there.
    
    Of course the other half of the strategy in these races is to find
    the wind or avoid the foul weather and this is determined by how 
    good a guess you make when choosing an easterly or westerly route.

    Correctly taking advantage of the stream has provided the edge to
    evenly matched maxi's in the SORC which is a series of short races from
    the west to east coasts of Florida.

    Having just got back from delivering a boat from BDA to Edgartown,
    i am here to tell you the stream and the eddies make a big difference!
    For example, there was a humongous cold eddy (over 100 mi dia and
    100 mi N. of BDA) that
    we managed to sail through on the correct side. Before we entered
    we were averaging 6.0-6.5 kts. (it was a Swan 41).
    In the eddy we averaged over 9.0 consistently. same wind, same seas
    (big and ugly).    
    
    After having made 8 trips to/from BDA, i can support John's answer
    (.-1) that the stream DOES make a big difference. 
    
    Having worked at WHOI for a couple of years, i found out a few stream
    facts. Marine jetsam and flotsam, animal and plant life is different
    in the stream and can float in it for weeks. In fact, i once found
    some jetsam 120 miles S. of the Nantucket light thing that had probably
    been dropped off of Miami. The elevation of the
    water in the stream is a few centimeters higher that the surrounding
    water. Some Physical Oceanographers believe as much as 25% of the
    energy interaction between water and atmosphere in the North Atlantic
    occurs over the stream. Sailors already know that if you want to
    find some weather, look in the Gulf Stream.
                            
    Reading a  thermometer placed in the water is the best way to
    judge your proximity to the stream/eddies. The NOAA charts are the
    best planning method for stream/eddy navigation.
    
    Many of the sailing magazines have stream articles in the spring.
    If there is popular demand, i can look them up and send come coppies
    out. Also the WHOI puplication, "Oceanus", has had a couple of issues
    dedicated to various stream studies.
    
    happy streaming, (i suppose i shoudln't say that in tape engineering)
    
    paul 
         

    Re: .3
    By any chance was the boat you just brought into Edgartown named
    "Sirocco"? Over the 4th I was moored next to a bright red boat by
    that name with Bermuda registry. It could have been a Swan 41,
    although I would have guessed larger. It was right next to Walter
    Cronkite's 48' "Wyntje" and looked to be the same size. Anyway, I
    know I was drooling.
    John

    The Swan's name is "Antaries", Swan 41 hull # 11. She's a beauty
    designed for offshore flying. I'd think twice before taking her
    gunkholing: too dark down below, NO place to stretch out in the
    cockpit, a full length dodger would still leave most of the cockpit
    and the whole helmsperson exposed to the low freeboard's constant
    invitation to seas to jump in. She's well built, Loyd's 100-a1 rating,
    and sails well (although a bit squirley for a full-length keel person
    like myself). Generous use of teak below, all bunks have lee boards,
    pipe births forward, built-in through-hull thermometer, B&G, Northstar
    800 (you have to use one to believe it).
    
    She's moored in Edgartown near the Chappy Club Landing (NE side
    of harbor).
    
    btw, does anyone remember how to pronounce "WYNTJE". Also i read
    it was for sail...
    
    And that's the way it is...
    paul
                  

    Sorry I got off the subject at hand. This should end the diversion.
    
    All of Walter Cronkite's boats have been named "Wyntje" (pronounced
    wint-gee). It was the maiden name of the first woman to marry a
    "Cronkite" in this new world. 
    
    The boat you saw for sale was his old one. This a brand new custom
    design just commissioned. There's a feature story on it in the July
    issue of Yachting.
    
    John