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Weathering the America’s Cup
Posted: Friday February 25, 2000 05:58 PM
By Joyce Harvey, Special to CNNSI.com AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Wind is the fuel that powers the sails, that drives the yacht. Finding the most wind, and getting to it first wins America's Cups. It is very tight competition where races can be won or lost by a few degrees of wind shift. In no other sport is weather forecasting more critical to a competitor's success that yacht racing. Syndicates spend staggering amounts of money for weather data. Weather dictates every aspect of this sport from the design of the boat, to the cut of the sails to choosing the crew. Accurate weather prediction is critical for many reasons. Long term forecasts are evaluated and incorporated in the yacht design phase. Daily forecasts determine what sail inventory will be carried on the boat for a particular race. Reading current conditions, visually and with on-board instruments determines which side of the racecourse is "favored". Paul Cayard, helmsman of American One (finalist) says it's all in the wind shifts. "It's a sailor's racecourse out there. If you get the first shift you control the race, even if you are a tick slower, there are big enough shifts out there to make up for a lot of these speed differences." Weather analysis begins long before pen is put to paper in designing a yacht. Yachts are created specifically with Hauraki Gulf weather conditions in mind. "Auckland's weather history has been quite significant in the design of both the boat and the sails," says John Crouch, meteorologist for semifinalist America True. "The weather tends to change much more often than in San Diego and the boats must therefore be designed to race in a much wider range than before." AmericaOne's weather team analyzed 14 years of wind data on the Hauraki Gulf. Historical climatological data was used in the earliest design stages of the yacht. The final design refinements were determined by actual weather surveys over the past several years. Nature's awesome power and unpredictability is taken into consideration in the design of every aspect of a yacht. Designers strive to create the strongest boat with the lightest weight possible. Volatile weather claimed many victims in the Challenger Series. The carnage is astounding. There was broken hardware, exploded sails, and masts that snapped like matchsticks. America's Cup weather forecasting is a combination of high technology and gut instincts. Meteorologists utilize computer models, radar images, satellite pictures, weather balloons, Internet resources along with various surface weather observations including weather buoys. AmericaOne had several pieces of custom written software to give 3 to 6 hour forecasts and even 15 to 30-minute forecasts. The forecasts are so specific that they can predict whether the left or right side of the racecourse will have more wind -- and the course is only two miles wide. Prada uses two weather advisors; Meteorologist Doug Charko and local sailor Hamish Wilcox. Charko covers the "big picture" and Wilcox contributes his "local" expertise to help predict that all important first shift. No opportunity or resource for weather data is passed over. From sophisticated computer modeling and custom software, to observations by local residents. Teams send their weather advisors out on the water to collect data before every race. Each team has three support boats strategically placed around the racecourse to gather weather information. Data is fed into a short-term wind forecast model and the team meteorologist passes the information back to the crew. This helps with tactical and strategic planning for the race. Information can be exchanged up until five minutes before the race starts. The meteorologists look for the wind trends and attempt to predict the small-scale wind shifts that are critical to successful yacht racing. During the race however, teams only receive weather data from their own instruments on the boat. Anemometers measure wind speed and direction. The instruments are attached to a rod that extends seven feet above the mast so that swirling air off the sails does not interfere with the readings. During the race, crews keep their eyes on the water and the clouds. Sailors constantly look for changes in wind speed and direction by reading small wind shifts off the water. They do this by observing changes in the color and texture of the water. "We are always looking for the dark water," says Peter Isler. Darker water color indicates stronger velocity. Cloud lines or the way clouds are organized can predict a more significant wind shift. Teams frequently hoist a crewmember to the top of the mast to read the weather patterns on the water from 110 feet in the air. Veteran America's Cup sailor and ESPN's race analyst Gary Jobson says in-house meteorologists present the large picture, but it's the call on the spot that proves to be critical. "Stars & Stripes did not send a man to the top of the mast at the start of their final race," says Jobson. "They missed a huge right wind shift and never recovered." America True did send a man aloft who saw the new wind line, winning that race in a huge upset." There has been much discussion as to whether or not Team New Zealand has a "local weather knowledge" advantage. John Crouch, America True's meteorologist says yes and no. "Initially the Kiwis would have local knowledge advantage," says Crouch. "But it is equalized once the America's Cup races are held, as the challenger would have been racing in the Hauraki Gulf for five months and are probably as familiar with local wind shifts as the Kiwis." Most challengers say local knowledge is not a big factor but all have a native New Zealander involved with their weather teams. America True employed a native New Zealand meteorologist and Team New Zealand has an American meteorologist. Go figure. Other influencing factorsIt's not just wind that can effect the outcome of a race. Weather can wreak havoc in many ways. In one challenger series race, team Prada was beaten by Stars and Stripes simply because Prada's navigator "got lost" for a short time when rain squalls rolled in and he lost track of the next buoy. Stars & Stripes "fried a computer chip" at the top of their mast during a lightning storm and Bob Rice remembers an incident in the 1995 America's Cup when the nuclear aircraft carrier, Abraham Lincoln wound up square in the middle of the racecourse in dense fog off San Diego. Hauraki Gulf weatherThe racing area in the Hauraki Gulf is virtually surrounded by land with an irregular topography. When wind crosses the land it tends to be shiftier and more unpredictable than from the water. Auckland is located in the lee of Australia. This creates an interesting weather situation. The large landmass enhances and disrupts the normally smooth airflow as weather systems cross the ocean. Weather conditions in the Hauraki Gulf can vary wildly in just minutes. In one round-robin race, sailors saw winds shift 180-degrees and fluctuate between eight and thirty knots. "Perhaps the most unique feature of the weather on the Hauraki Gulf is the sea breeze, says New Zealand native John Crouch. "The Gulf lies on the eastern side of the narrow Auckland isthmus. During the summer, onshore breezes can develop on both the east and west coasts at the same time and often one sea breeze will push through from one coast to another. "In one race in round-robin 3 the wind shifted 180 degrees when the race started with a northeasterly sea breeze and finished with an offshore southwesterly wind when the sea breeze from the West Coast pushed right over the isthmus." One thing is sure -- Auckland's unpredictable and volatile weather will give forecasters, competitors and spectators a great show for America's Cup 2000.
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