Leading skippers do battle with the South Atlantic High

Sail:
Oceans of stories on boats and weather.

Weather links:
Get a grip on current conditions ... right 'round the world!

Stormwatch:
Typhoons to tornadoes, we learn from
the event

La Nina:
What is going on with our planet's weather?

Profiles:
Legends in meteorology

Surf:
Awesome yarns about awesome wave events

Sky:
Record Tasman balloon crossing

Polar:
What happens when a monster berg calves off the Ross Ice shelf

Ocean:
What makes the Southern Ocean tick?

Fire:
Witness heath ignite during a hot and dry spring in Australia

Drought:
Tasmania waits for rain

Weatherfacts:
How big is a hailstone?

Books:
Great reviews

Products:
Learn to think weather better

Upwind and no wind

As Desjoyeaux enters a windless zone within the South Atlantic high, his competition bashes upwind. Will the high persist, or will it migrate to the east. If so, who will benefit?

January 17, 2001

The leading skippers in the Vendee Globe have rounded Cape Horn, marking a significant milestone in their journey around the world.

Desjoyeaux rounded smoothly and sailed east and north of the Falklands - and east again - apparently expecting the western edge of the South Atlantic High to migrate towards Africa more quickly than it has. However, he is best placed despite the slow-to-move high, as variable winds are creeping east from the Argentinean coast ahead of another low pressure development.

Kingfisher surfed quickly towards the horn on a band of northerly winds and then stopped as a new low formed over the top of her, delivering wind from all points of the compass and keeping her busy with sail changes. For 24 hours she did not sleep at all.

Theircelin, 200 miles behind, landed in the same slop while Jourdain in fourth sailed for the protection of Cape Horn's surrounding islands to repair his mainsail track.

Since that time MacArthur has sailed west of the Falklands, the only leading skipper to do so, and has had a steady bash with winds on her port quarter as westerly winds fill in behind a stream of new lows forming east of the South American coast.

She is now positioned west of Desjoyeaux and, like the leader, is trying to sail into a narrow band of northerly winds circulating around the counter-clockwise spinning South Atlantic High.

Meanwhile, Yves Parlier - who lost the top section of his mast south-west of Australia, has built a new one out of epoxy and carbon bits in the lee of New Zealand's Stewart Island, and is off crossing the Pacific.

What a legend!

Image courtesy of Vendee Globe.

Roland Jourdain, aboard SILL, approaches Cape Horn on a fine southern day, January 14, to repair his mainsail track. He told race headquarters:

"I arrived in 15 knots of wind. The anchor hooked in the second time I tried. I was able to go up the mast to prepare the work, unfortunately now I can¹t do anything else There is 35 knots of wind and it¹s raining. My hands are frozen after just ten minutes. The wind is decreasing a little, if the rains stops, before the wind shifts from the West to the North West, I hope to find a two to three hours gap to do the job. It¹s so frustrating to be anchored here when the others are sailing."

Fleet positions
January 16, 1300gmt

Pictures courtesy of Virtual Spectator.

Leader Michael Desjoyeaux (red line) has reached the centre of the South Atlantic high. Note how he is sailing east into what apears to be the deepest darkest centre of this windless region. We assume he understands the forecast models. Perhaps he is planning on north west winds filling in from the west as a low over Thiercelin (orange line) develops. By keeping east he might avoid the strongest north-west winds in the short term, and later he might avoid a lack of winds predicted for latitudes to his west.

MacArthur (blue line), to Desjoyeaux's south and west, and Thiercelin (orange line) further south again, are bashing upwind. Note the bell-shaped isobars over Thiercelin. That is a new low pressure cell developing east of the Falklands and it will bring variable winds to third-placed Thiercelin as it revolves over him to the east.

South Atlantic pressure
January 17

Image courtesy of Ocean Weather

This confirms Virtual Spectator's surface pressure model, showing that damned high east of Uruguay and a new low forming east of the Falklands.

Five day wind forecast for the Atlantic
from January 16

Image courtesy of NOAA.

In this four day forecast, from January 16, the South Atlantic High changes shape very quickly, as a low develops north-east of the Falklands and moves quickly towards Cape Town. Being such a strong depression, it will push into the high and might create better winds east of 30w - which would benefit Desjoyeaux - currently the furthest east and in the lead. Certainly, if this model proves right, there will be less winds to the west of 30w. If so, MacArthur better be careful!