Heading south

So this is just a short blog, more a reminder to people of whereas go, as I head out to the wedding of the year in Australia. Jo and Dale are getting married and the on-tour gang are getting back together.
Weddings are expensive they say but how can you turn down an invite Oz. A great excuse to go and see a bit more of a very large country, in surface area but small in population, as it would appear a large part of it is blinking hot and very barren. I am not sure where I am going to go or how but with a few pennies I am hoping couch surfing and hitch hiking will give me some interesting experiences.

But as always  despite knowing my departure time for at least a month the days ticked by and I found myself this morning hungover more than ever (Ellie D perhaps you can tell me how I got home) and holding onto the big white telephone (I am stealing that Abby) head throbbing thinking how am I going to pack and get to the airport! Nevermind leaving to house in some semblance for Els to return. I am going to say it was the cats while I was away!
In some haze I have made it to airport and am now on full food and water intake contemplating whether I should be concerned that my bag only weighs 9kg.
Guess 9kg of something is better than nothing, but travelling Libby is launched........

ACWS Portsmouth.....a look at the course area

The Americas Cup World Series 2015 starts in Portsmouth with 4 races that count in a fairly complex longer term scoring system. There will be another 2 events (Gothenburg and Bermuda) in 2015 and possibly 6 events next year,  before the AC45Fs are put away and the AC48s are used in the Louis Vuitton Qualifying Series.
These boats are fast and furious gone are the hydraulics and back is full physicality of getting the foils, sails in out up and down with pure man power. Then put 6 boats next to each other and confine them to a race area  that is not much bigger than a square nautical mile within spitting distance of the shoreline and you are sure to get a spectacular display of racing in high end machines at the highest level
Here, we take a look at the course area and what other interesting things the sailors maybe needing to consider outside of just trying to sail these wild machines!

First up the course area. They have publicised the proposed course area and the courses for the forthcoming weekend based on the historical average of a SW wind.
Two courses are proposed either 5 or 7 legs with a short reach to the finish along the shoreline for the spectators. But what is new is a reaching start in the middle of what is essentially aiming to be a windward-leeward course - there is most certainly going to be a lot of action as the boats accelerate towards each other and turning marks in fairly rapid succession. Good luck umpires!

Let's take a closer look at the course area and how the course might swing if the wind is not a SW....which my sources currently say is highly likely.
The black line shows the proposed course area for a SW wind the dashed line is a suggested area within which they will try and swing this windward-leeward keep in mind though they want to somehow finish along the spectator shoreline.
The course area in theory will always be restricted to a rectangular box around the windward-leeward to allow for spectators to get a good view and inevitably limiting where the AC45F can go keeping them closer together.

Taking a closer look at the chart there are a couple of interesting features about the course area. First of all the clear inclusion of Spit Sands Fort in the middle of the course area...surely the best place to really watch the racing from - you will most certainly feel like you can touch the boats from there. Also, there will definitely be some layline avoidance or judging to not be aiming for the fort. We all know what these things can be like........MAGNETS!
Then if you look at the red dotted line theses mark areas of notably shallower water. All races will be carried out on a rising tide (HW Portsmouth 1747 Fri to 1946 Sun) so lack of water will not be a problem with shallowest water being over these areas at 4.0M. However, it does mean that the tidal flow in the area is not all that straight forward. Fortunately, we are heading into neaps so it is unlikely that we will see anymore that 0.8KT in tidal strength across the course and this will be in the S and W of the course areas.
None-the-less it is likely to effect laylines, startlines and every 0.1KT matters so for interest below is a rough idea of how the tide will be moving in the proposed racing periods.

The question now is what will the wind be doing? Pop back tomorrow to see an outlook for the upcoming ACWS Portsmouth event or find me on twitter (@LibbyGreenhalgh) and instagram (@Greenhalghweather)

New year (2013), new goal (2016) and new classes (Nacra and the FX)

Many will argue that the racing season has never stopped (the frosbite warriors amongst us) or has already started (the lucky Caribbean sailors amongst us) for the Olympic Circuit today is start of the Princess Sofia Regatta held in Palma, Mallorca and for many in the Olympic Scene the start of the racing season and your 2016 campaign.

Weatherwhiz's Libby Greenhalgh has had a fantastic 4 years with the British Sailing Team culminating in her supporting both the Olymypic and Paralympic Sailing Teams to their 7 medal haul success and is back with a brief update from Palma for us.

After 2012, the Games year there is as you would expect some down time for many of the top athletes and 2013 is often called a quiet year where perhaps not everyone is back and racing or doing full campaigns. But with the introduction of 2 new classes and a whole stack of sailors behind the last Olympians champing at the bit for their turn, it does not feel that quiet.

There have been a changes in classes with the Match Racing in the Elliot 6M going and the Star Class no more, this has made way for a Mixed multihull- (the Nacra) and a Female Skiff (the FX -basically a 49er with a smaller rig). This event will be the first serious racing with decent numbers on the start line for those classes and really  the start of serious campaigns that are going at max speed on and off the water to achieve the GOLD at Rio 2016.

For me this sees the balance tip to 5 years of Met Support versus 4 years of Regatta racing and still we seeing new weather set ups, probably why I love the job!

Weatherwhiz is pleased to say that Libby Greenhalgh will have the envious role of supporting the British Sailing Team in hopefully another highly successful campaign for Gold in Rio at 2016. Some early venue research is already being carried out by most teams in what will no doubt prove to be a most challenging venue both wind and tide wise in the Guanabarra Bay in Rio


The format of the racing is also changing trying to keep the medal options open for longer. They are currently trialling more medal races on the final day. So rather than one double points race it is likely there will be between 2 (slow boats) and 4 (fast boats and windsurfers) on the final day with the top 10 to decide the medals.

There was resistance to the medal race initially and there is some resistance to some of the formats being tabled understandably so. These new formats do not allow people to build a big points lead that means they have all but won on the medal race day or guaranteed a medal, which for spectators may be great but perhaps for the sailor something is lost.....or the better way to look at it....the game has changed again.

WOKC Weather

General Synopsis
High pressure dominates the area maintaining a light WNW backing W airflow. Overnight clear skies have seen temperatures drop and an initially chilly, 10-12 Celsius, will quickly warm up.
The increasing temperatures will provide some thermally influenced conditions

Air temperature: 18-19 Celsius

Sea temperature: 17 Celsius

Weather: Clear skies with small amounts of cumulus developing from 1030-1100 indicating larger left shifts

Time	Wind direction	Wind speed	Comments
0900-1100	280-310	04-08	Light offshore conditions patchy slow moving pressure Small cumulus developing
1100-1300	280-310 becoming 260-290	04-08 building 06-11	Thermal influence dragging wind left – but split breeze
1300-1500	260-290 becoming 250-270	06-11 becoming 10-12	Clouds clearing to the west and wind building
1500-1700	250-270	10-12	Little change

Ainslie GOLD, Perce and Bart SILVER but there is still plenty of racing going on

Situation normal.

Despite the historic victory of Ben Ainslie gaining, his 4th Gold medal and for me becoming my greatest Olympic hero. The incredibly close finish for Iain and Bart who perhaps a little disappointed, came home with silver to an incredibly proud team. We all have the utmost respect for 3 of our inspirational British and it is incredible to think I may have helped them along the way - if to make sure they took their coats with them!

So, were we celebrating hard.....no, it is situation normal here.
While we have the first of our team medallists we still have several more to decide and we continue to keep the routine the same...up bright and breezy at 0530 to classic Weymouth conditions

Princess Royal however, did visit us yesterday so not entirely no celebrating and business as usual. We toasted a drink to her and the medallists and some of our support staff were fortunate enough to go to the Trinity House boat Patricia to have dinner with her

Today we are again visited by further royalty with Princess Catherine out watching the racing and expected to pop in and say hi- which has got most of the boys a very very excited. Keep an eye on twitter later no doubt there will be a few comments

Weather conditions were unbelievably tricky yesterday making life very hard for the best sailors in the world to have a fair race on the Nothe course. No doubt there will be some questions asked of that course but no one can deny that the crowd on the Nothe headland has been phenomenal and the support has lifted some of our sailors through what so far has been a nail biting regatta.

Lets hear a cheer Nothe!

Images of the morning and evening entertainment

Here are a selection of  photos from behind the scenes of what my mornings and evenings typically look like.

Including a video of some superb bowling skills by one of our team

Evening stretch after sailing

Watching the opening ceremony

Get the Union Flag war paint on

Cheering the swimmer on

Mosaicing

My busy desk and wall

Chesney Hawkes concert at the Bayside Festival

French boule on our lawn

The Games begins

Wow- what an opening ceremony- that is what everyone is talking about and rightly so. My highlights
Queen and Bond
Mr Bean
Amazing torch lighting
Well done Mr Boyle a great story told and in a truly British fashion

All a bit different down here in Weymouth. A few of our team members made the trip to London while the rest are remaining focused for their racing starts today.
Instead we had the alternative opening ceremony fully clad in our kit.

For me yesterday was a fairly busy day - up forecasting as usual and then sorting out radios followed by heading off to pre-record something for Meridian and then do a live interview. Sadly the link broke and the rest off the team were unable to work out how to change the channel to itv so missed my ridiculously small claim to fame!!!

Anyway we had an amazing turn out on Weymouth beach to greet the sailors - must have been 3000+ people - just another example of this country really getting behind the team.

Mood in our camp is high with winds looking moderate to fresh tomorrow for the start of racing. Finn, Stars and Match Racers will be up tomorrow. Fingers, toes and everything else is crossed - but the skill, the hard wok and the knowledge will get this team the results they deserve.

1 and a bit days to go....!!!

Summer is here and the wind has gone......as we bask in 22-26 Celsius along the south coast, sorry Scotland and North Wales I appreciate it maybe a little foggy and drizzly there, we are also some what floating around today in very light winds. Should probably spare a thought for those that did the offshore race in the Commodores Cup - floating around to the east of the Isle of Wight.

Opening Ceremony 

As I am powered by the sun (much like Superman!) I am obviously adoring this weather - however it makes for some tricky forecasting conditions and therefore a tricky days work! Some people are never pleased.....'Where is the sun?' followed by 'Where is the wind?'

So what do we have in store for the start of the Games? Will the 'real rain' at the Opening ceremony actually be lost in real rain?  Will it be wet windy or hot hot hot?

SUNDAY First day of racing

Well the temperatures are cooling and change is afoot on Friday with a cold front heading south. It look like cooler conditions and the odd shower will affect the most places. We will then see a moderate to fresh WSW airflow will cover the area for Sunday - day one of racing

Air temperatures are expected to be cooler than the 26-28 Celsius we have had lately only reaching 18-19 Celsius but still plenty of sunshine for the weekend.

Now to bed for me which, way should I have my bed spread- logos or writing?

  

R and R'd and team built up

6 days until the opening ceremony, 6 days until Games begins. But this Team bus is all ready fully in motion.
For the Team GB sailing team , as for all the others, this event has started a while ago and we are now into the final stages of the build up to what many have waited all their lives to partake in and some 4 years to right some wrongs or just to make a little bit of Olympic history

We just had 3 days of R&R -  rest and relaxation and a little bit of final team building up in Reading. with a spot of Archery, Falconry (probably need to google that) and duck herding.....not just ducks but geese, white ducks, magpie ducks (might have made that up) and those tall standing really quick ducks.

Joe and Steve step up first

Much flailing of our herding sticks, failing to be able to blow the whistles at all for some and the rest not particularly well, we were back to the basic calls- think sheepdog trials that was on TV a few years ago that was us, or maybe just some well trained dogs and ducks!

Falconry resulted in us discovering there were a few bird phobics amongst us especially if the bird was to give you the evil eye or heaven forbid flap its wings - but Owl was gorgeous and falcon incredible at flying around u- even attracted a red kite to the area!

Here are a couple of other sneaky peaks behind are holding camp fun the team building and the evening entertainment....Pen Hadow was inspiring us on Thursday evening but great applause must go to the Murder Mystery characters

The Olympic fun and Games begin....

So I have been down in Weymouth supporting the Team GB sailing team now for three days and hopefully over the next 2 and half weeks I will be able to give you a sneaky peek into the things going on behind our lovely doors

The weather is on everyone's mind at the moment, with it being so relentlessly wet and I am sure the competition have been wondering how or why you would live, let alone go sailing here. You could argue that being use to the weather here in the UK should play to our advantage, but we shall see.

But the Games is upon us and more importantly the weather is changing, with the now infamous jet stream making the news again and more importantly making a move to the north. Dare I say the British summer is on it way but how long for......

 

While we have a little bit of quiet time Emilie and I thought we would sneak in and check out the food hall. Sadly there is not the world's largest McDonalds here (probably a good thing) but more disappointing was the lack of muffins

We had hastely got on our bikes to go to the village after rumours of amazing muffins- however we must have been the last to hear the rumour as there were non insight. Though non of our friends believe us and think we just ate them all on the way back - I stand by my first story!

Final Spring Series Racing - post Ark-like weather

 SYNOPTIC SITUATION
The UK has been affected by some fairly stormy conditions this week and this morning starts off as no exception
A low pressure sits n the English channel and unusually so will track WNW maintaining severe gale force NE that will back and moderate by 1100 to near gale force airflow.
The airmass is currently extremely stable and there form despite the strong airflow the surface wind conditions are lower than you might expect- but the maximum gust is still high

Air temperature 13-15 Celsius

Weather: Overcast with moderate rain and drizzle until 1300-1400 then scattered cloud

Portsmouth:   HW 0450    LW 1029




KEY POINTS
- big mean to gust ratio- so will be squally- www.bramblemet.co.uk
- rain and drizzle easing  0900-0930- cloud lifting but not breaking indicating veer to east
- cloud breaking and clearing 1330-1400 further veer to the SE
-Gusty to begin with- with long period shifts
- shift period decreasing with clearing skies and further increasing wind

Time	Wind direction	Wind speed (KT)	MAX	Comments
0900-1100	030-060 veering 070-090	25-30 decreasing 16-21	35-40	Warm front clears through 0930-1000 wind veers and decreases
1100-1300	070-090	16-21, occasionally 12	30	Still overcast with isolated rain and drizzle
1300-1500	070-090 becoming 130-150	16-21 increasing 20-25	30	Cloud clearing increasing instability- wind building
1500-1700	130-150	20-25	30	Little change

Spring Championships part 2: no chance to dodge the rain

SYNOPTIC SITUATION
 Low pressure sits to the SSW of the UK and through the course of the day is expected to deepen and track NE.
The associated occluded front will remain slow moving over the southern half of the UK providing wet conditions
The result is a strong NE airflow will dominate the Solent building mid afternoon.

Air temperature: 12-13 Celsius

Weather: Overcast cloud with outbreaks of slight to moderate rain and drizzle through out

Portsmouth    
LW 0928      HW 1642




KEY POINTS
- A small directional trend LEFT in the surface wind conditions with the increasing breeze
- Offshore with cold sea and land- relatively stable
- Shift range increasing towards the shore 10 deg increasing to 20 deg
- marked increase in surface wind from 1400

Time	Wind direction	Wind Speed (KNOTS)	Comments
0900-1100	040-060	12-14 building 14-18	Increasing in surface as temperature increase and mixing establishes
1100-1300	040-060	14-18	Little change
1300-1500	040-060 backing 020-050	14-18 building 20-24	Gradient increasing and potentially slight backing – could see gusts to 28 KT
1500-1700	020-050	20-24 building 30-35	Max speed 40 KT

Day two of the Spring Championships and another blustery day!

Yesterday saw some fairly heavy showers and hail for some and with that some large changes in wind speed and direction- words such as squally, blustery often spring to mind.
Clouds are always a very interesting feature and often a race winning one.

SYNOPTIC SITUATION

Low pressure dominates the area with a strong WNW airflow throughout the day
Initially showers are at the periphery of the country but the airmass is deeply unstable and again expect large clouds and showers to readily develop

Air temperature: 09-11 Celsius

Portsmouth LW 0606   HW 1255

KEY POINTS
- Clouds will become the key feature from 1100 as clouds build over land
- While the wind will initially track left expect these large clouds/showers to provide up to 30 deg wind shifts and increase the wind markedly up to 25-30 KT with a small probability of 35-40 KT where there is hail associated

Time	Wind direction	Wind Speed (KNOTS)	Comments
0900-1100	260-290	10-14 occasional 17	Building breeze with increasing temperatures and cumulus developing overland
1100-1300	260-290 backing 230-260	10-14 building 16-20 occasional 22	Cumulus clouds readily turning to showers and providing squally conditions- wind speeds up to 25-30 KT and directions 300-310
1300-1500	230-260	16-20 occasional 22
1500-1700	230-260 becoming 250-270	16-20 decreasing 12-16	Gradient easing but still risk of squally showers

Its a double whammy weekend- 21st-22nd April- Warsash Spring Championships

The first of the Warsash Spring Championships this weekend with things kicking off tomorrow in a gentle to moderate WNW airflow. Last week proved to be stronger winds than forecast in association with some fairly large cumulus clouds and this week we could see the same.

SYNOPTIC SITUATION
The heavy showers and rumbles of thunder experienced overnight and early this morning are slowly disappearing as a moderate WNW builds, but as temperature scrabble towards double figures again expect further showers and possible rumbles of thunder.
A gentle to moderate WNW backing WSW airflow is expect to cover the area

Air temperature: 09-11 Celsius

Weather: partly cloudy with showers clearing SE. Large cumulus developing turning to moderate showers late afternoon

KEY POINTS
- gradient driven with cloud features being key
- could see wind up to 28-30 KT after 1400-1500
- max right likely 300-310 with showers in the afternoon

Portsmouth: LW 0536 HW 1223

Time	Wind direction	Wind speed	Comments
0900-1100	270-300	08-12 becoming 06-08 at times	Initial showers/clouds clearing to leave sunny spells but clouds beginning to build
1100-1300	270-300 backing 250-290	08-12 building 15-19	Wind speed quick to build and wind range increasing as clouds develop
1300-1500	250-290	17-19 occasional 22	Large cloud dominated features
1500-1700	250-290	17-19 building 22-25	Building gradient could touch 28 at times