Cowes Week navigation tips part 2

Jim Saltonstall gives his views on the wind and tidal charactertistics of the central Solent area

Solent central - south
Wind Direction

340-040 degrees: With the wind coming from the northern sector it is blowing over relatively low land, and has a reasonable distance over open water before arriving in the southern race area off Cowes. What you get is a reasonably steady breeze and your strategy should be to play the shifts.

040-110 degrees: Now the wind is leaving the northern shoreline at a tangent, the mainland shore has the convergent breeze. The wind will also lift over the island shore, so although the convergent wind zone is some distance away from this race course, there should still be better breeze away from the island shore.

110-140 degrees: When the wind is in the south-east sector, there should be a point effect off Old Castle Point, the headland by East Cowes. But it's not as straightforward as the bend on Egypt Point in a south-westerly. This is partly because of the moorings that run to the east from Cowes (particularly during Cowes Week), but also because the island shoreline is now a divergent zone, with less wind. That makes the breeze around Old Castle Point much more unpredictable than around Egypt Point. Certainly, once you get past this headland, the best breeze is away from the shoreline and in the channel. The tide may well be the overriding element in your strategy, given the unpredictability of the wind and the strength of the tide in this area.

140-220 degrees: The breeze is blowing off the Isle of Wight, and how steady it is will depend on how far you are away from the island. The Medina River will usually try to funnel the wind down its river valley, so if it's blowing from the south-east then expect a more southerly wind to be blowing out of Cowes. It also tends to fan out as it leaves the harbour entrance - but this effect can come and go with the puffs.

220-250 degrees: The wind is now being channelled down the western Solent, towards the race area. There is a point effect off Cowes, as the wind wraps around Egypt Point and veers. As with all wind bends, it pays to get to the inside of them. That means tacking in towards Egypt Point on starboard expecting to get headed, then taking the port tack lift back out. Generally it's worth getting into Egypt Point for this effect, although the tide is so strong along this shoreline that current will be your primary concern.

250-340 degrees: The wind is now blowing from the land and water to the east of the race course, and it will make the breeze more shifty and lighter the further north-west you go.

Tide

On the south race course, the tide is absolutely central to all race strategy. It runs as strongly off Cowes as anywhere in the Solent, flooding to the east, and ebbing to the west. It turns first on the Cowes shoreline, and it's possible to watch the new tide creep its way out from the shore. Watch the moored boats and the buoys to see what's going on. The result is that small distances can make a massive difference when racing in this piece of water on the tidal change. Once again, buy the books.