Poole

Jim Saltonstall looks at racing from Poole

Poole Bay
The Bay is open to the east and south-east, and with the wind blowing from anywhere in this sector, we get the roughest sea state. Coming in and out of the narrow entrance, care must be taken not to clash with the chain ferry or other large vessels visiting the port. It is very tidal, so take care if you are not used to sailing in strong current. Basically - allow more time to alter course if you are sailing with the tide!

Wind Direction

310-030 degrees: Shifty sector with the wind coming over the main town. It’s important to identify the maximum left and right oscillations. If the race area is close enough to feel the effect of the land to the west, it normally pays to work the shifts on the left hand side of the course. There may well also be more pressure, with lifts on port tack - check it out before the start. If the course is to the east, away from the western shore, then work the shifts up the middle of the track. Look for lifts on port tack, as you get near the land at the top of the beat - the wind shifts to the right as it moves from land to water within half a mile of the shore. If the wind is in the 000-030 degree sector, working the shifts left of middle tends to pay as you get nearer the shore on the starboard tack. As you close the land you will be headed on starboard and then lifted back out on port.

030-100 degrees: With the wind in the east, it now pays to go left up the beat, as there is more pressure on the port side of the course due to the convergence area.

100-210 degrees: The clear wind sector for Poole Bay. This is when the wind is at its most stable in both direction and velocity. Decisions are more weighted towards the tidal situation, which we will address later.

210-250 degrees: It normally pays to work left-of-middle with the wind in the south-west sector - depending upon where the committee put the race course. This is to keep away from the divergence wind zone near the western shoreline of Studland - there may be less wind here.

250-300 degrees: Shifty sector again. Ten or fifteen degree shifts in the middle-to-upper wind range; and up to twenty degree shifts in the lighter wind range. Once again - know the numbers on the compass so that you are in sync with the shifts out of the starting area, and at the beginning of subsequent windward legs. The exact position of the race course is also important in these conditions, as the wind will be affected by high land to the south and west of Poole Harbour entrance - between Old Harry and St Albans Head. With the wind at 250 you can expect it to funnel to the south of St Albans Head. Bending around the high land and backing in direction as it gets into Poole Bay. With the wind at 300, you can expect it to funnel either side of the high land, creating stronger wind bands off the mouth of Poole Harbour and south of a line running east from St Albans Head. In between there will be a lighter wind zone.

Tide

It’s possible to make great gains in Poole Bay with good tidal knowledge. The flood tide rotates clockwise around the bay, and anti-clockwise on the ebb. It tends to be stronger to seaward, as well as along the western shore of the bay by the deep-water channel. This is especially true on the ebb when there is a lot of water pouring out of Poole harbour.

Sea Breeze

Poole Bay normally gets a good sea breeze. It develops when there is little or no gradient wind forecast; a clear blue sky; a light north-westerly offshore wind in the early morning; and cumulus cloud developing over land late morning. As the sea breeze fills in, it normally arrives at around 170 degrees, backing slightly as it fills in. The breeze then follows the sun to the west as the afternoon gets older, so protect the right hand side mid-to-late afternoon.

Other Information Sources

Admiralty Charts

2611 Poole Harbour
2175 Poole Bay

Admiralty Small Craft Charts

SC2175

Tidal Information

Yachtsman’s Tidal Atlas: Solent and Central Channel, published by Reeve-Fowkes
Admiralty Tidal Stream Atlas Number 250 (English Channel, no detail of Poole area)
Tide Flow Chart Portland/Needles, published by Roberts Charts

Tourist Office

Poole, phone: 01202 253 253