Miami Venue Guide

Jim Saltonstall looks at Florida's premier regatta venue, host of the first major regatta of the Olympic season

Biscayne Bay race areas

The main dinghy racing area is to the south of the city, south of the Rickenbacker Causeway, between Coconut Grove and the island of Key Biscayne. This area is approximately three miles long and four miles wide and offers plenty of space to set up four or five race areas. The keelboats are normally on the eastern, Biscayne side of the bay and to the south it is open to the Atlantic.

The dinghies are on the mainland side racing mainly to the west of the bay and to the north. Wind direction during Jan/Feb during our last visit was anywhere from north-west round to south-east and varying in speed from 6-25kts.

The whole race area is well protected when the wind direction is anywhere from the south-west through north to east but is wide open to anything from southeast through south to south-west. The location of the race area determines on how the race area is going to be affected by both the wind speed and direction, as well as the sea state.

Wind direction - 000

When the wind comes from the north, it is quite unstable across the whole race area, due to the fact that is coming over the commercial docks area and the causeway. Look for it being gusty/blustery with shifts to be taken both up and downwind. There is usually more wind on the port side of the course in the convergence area, less on the Biscayne side in the divergence area.

The sea state will be relatively flat, especially in the windward mark area, with a short chop over the rest of the track. So when setting up your ship to do battle, you will be looking at flatter sails with firmer leaches so as to achieve both speed and pointing ability.

Wind direction - 090

Shifty off the island of Biscayne. The shifts are less frequent in the leeward mark area and over a narrower arc as you would expect, more frequent and over a wider angle in the windward mark area. So, usual rules - do not get to either layline too early, look for the lifts on starboard tack towards the apex of the beat, as long as the windward mark is not too close to the shore. If it is, then look for the lifts on port.

Sea state in the leeward mark area is quite confused near the mainland shore as you would expect due to the backwash off the land, but flat near the windward mark if it is up near the island shore.

Rig settings: fuller sails with twist in the bottom half of the track, flatter sails with firmer leaches at the top end of the track.

Wind direction - 180

Bigger waves, fullness & twist so as to power through them. More wind on the port side, with the header as you go in on starboard tack and lifts on port if your layline is close enough to the island shore.

Wind direction - 270

Very shifty off the mainland shore now, more so if you are racing on the western race track in the bay. Flatter water to the west, more confused now on the Biscayne side of the bay. The secret is to keep your eyes out of the ship looking for the wind on the water and using the shifts once again not getting to either layline too early.

Tide and Current

Mainly wind driven, the warmer surface layer slipping over the colder water below. If the wind has been from the N/NE for sometime the current will probably be running at 1/4 of a knot in a direction between 180/190 degrees.