Where can I learn more about inshore weather forecasting?

Libby Greenhalgh answers...

Libby has recently completed an MSc in Applied Meteorology at the University of Reading. Younger sister of skiff sailors Pete and Rob, Libby was a top Optimist sailor before progressing to 420s. With Cailah Leask she competed in four World Championships and came 7th at the Youth Worlds in 1998. More recently she has been racing 470s with Ali McLeod and has sailed at the Worlds and Europeans. Her team won the BUSA Team Racing Championships in 200 and she has completed in match racing events both as helmsman and crew in Sonars and First Class 8s. She is currently putting together an Olympic 470 campaign. Since becoming the resident metorologist at The Daily Sail, with her expert weekend forecasts and the post weekend tutorial following on Mondays, she has now earned the nickname of Mystic Libby

Edouard Wylleman asks:

Can you recommend a crash course or a seminar on marine meteorology and forecasting with particular reference towards predicting inshore conditions with reference to general synoptic outlook AND local surrounding topology?


Edouard,

Seminars and crash courses, in the very small niche of inshore marine meteorology, are few and far between. The weather in sailing is crucial to racing and there is a strong effect due in the interaction of the wind with land that can make the difference in getting to a certain place quicker. In the larger scheme of things this plays a small part for the research and development of meteorology and is very specific. This means there are no specific lecture courses on this particular subject.

However there are some very good books, including our very own David Houghton (who has been to several Olympic Games as the meteorologist) with his book on Wind Strategy. This books looks at various topics from the interaction of wind with the land causing wind convergence, divergence, wind bends/shifts and sea breezes.

This is probably the best book around and assists in transferring the synoptic scale forecasts to a more relevant and effective forecast for your inshore sailing. This will answer your questions with regards to topological effects but the key thing to remember is that the ideas outlined have a strong physical basis but there may be several factors influencing each situation. The book outlines simple ideas that can be transferred to every inshore situation. You can buy the book via Amazon here.

Another top place to look is at the Daily Sail venue guides courtesy of Jim Saltonstall. Jim has analysed several venues around the UK, some inshore, taking the ideas found in Wind Strategy and his own experience to identify the various wind effects at different venues. While not every UK inshore venue has been analysed if you work through the analysis with a plan view map you will be able to see the theories, that are discuss in the book, in action

The Met. Office College (where training is carried out for Met. Office employees) does carry out courses of their own open to the public that are designed for forecasters but are not specifically geared towards the sailor. Currently they have no relevant courses planned but it is worth checking out their website from time to time.

Perhaps you have highlighted a region in sailing where there is a greater need to pass on information through courses or seminars open to every sailor.

Good sailing
Libby