Many sailors who cross the "Big Blue" have known for ages that, if the navigation is relatively easy, the weather represents a particularly difficult constraint to deal. Indeed, if the coasts are mostly clean and the dangers very localized, if the tides are almost insignificant, if the currents are to be considered only in well defined areas, the major difficulty comes from a capricious meteorology, difficult to forecast, which can represent a real danger by its changing moods, sudden, even rough. Read more …
Introduction to Marine Weather [2021]
The new tutorial " Introduction to Marine Weather is available on the iBook Store (¹).
A complete reworking of the originally published book in 2015, new, clearer and more readable layout in portrait mode, ful revision of the text, Updated videos and illustrations. Read more …
New major evolution of the GFS model
NOAA (¹) annouced on 22 March a major upgrade to its weather forecasting model GFS.
For the first time, the Global Forecasting System (GFS), NOAA's flagship weather forecast model (¹) will be coupled with the global wave model Wave Watch III (WW3), produced by the CMNF (Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center), which will extend the current forecast of waves from 7 down to 16 days and improve the prediction of ocean waves forced by the atmosphere. Read more …
Sea state : interpret wave patterns
In Weather4D, as generally in other applications, sea state forecasts are described by ocean models. The most used is the model WW3 (Wave Watch III), published by FNMOC (Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center) of the US Navy, with a global model due to 7 days and resolution 1° (60NM), and a Europe model to 3 days and resolution 0.2° (12NM). Météo-France publish the models MFAUM (Wave Assimilated Model) coupled with the ARPEGE and AROME weather models with three resolutions : Global at 0.5° (30NM), Europe at 0.1° (6NM), France at 0.025° (1,5NM) with variable deadlines (¹). Read more …
MacENC is back
MacENCx64 is now the name of the MacENC application which has just been published by its new developer NavStation.
MacENC has been completely adapted and recompiled into 64 bits for recent MacOS systems and new processors, which explains the new name. I continue to ensure the French translation. But be careful : to date Navionics cartography is no longer available. So there is no charting yet for the coasts of Europe, except ENC S-57 and S-63 available from Chartworld (see the page Digital charting). Read more …
Routing : from reality to play (episode 3)
While, this morning of the 9th day, Hugo Boss at the top of the Vendée Globe 2020 finishes crossing the “Doldrums” at a slow trot (¹), followed by the fleet of competitors which spread out behind him to the north of the Cape Verde Islands, It is a completely different score that the leaders of the game are playing Virtual Regatta. Read more …
Routing : from game to reality (continue)
Friday 13 November will not be a lucky day for the Vendée Globe skippers 2020 (¹). They will have to negotiate the encounter with tropical storm "Theta" which crosses their course with average winds that can reach the 40 nodes and powerful bursts. Above all, the sea will be to be feared because, strongly crossed as they passed the centre of the low pressure system, Waves may exceed 6 meters and break in a chaotic way. Read more …
Routing : from game to reality
On the second day of racing of this Vendée Globe 2020, we can say that the weather conditions that the skippers will experience on the descent towards the Doldrums will be particularly tough. After a departure in a damned weather, A first weak cold front passed without incident, The Solitaires will cross a second, much more violent front during the night and morning from Tuesday to Wednesday, for the group that went to the West, and in the evening for the group passed between the DST (¹) and Gallicia.
But these upcoming conditions are very different for Virtual Regatta players and For sailors… Read more …
Navigation Mac embarks on the Vendée Globe 2020
Hey yes, everything happens ! In all my computer-nautical career I had never played any computer game whatsoever, not even the historical Windows card game that consumed thousands of hours of idle office time for businesses… but you should never say : Never !
So, therefore,, here I am registered for Virtual Regatta, one among the most 340.000 players registered at this time, ready to start the Vendée Globe tomorrow at 1:02 p.m.. Like any beginner, I watched a few videos to quickly understand this game, Who, on balance, seems relatively easy for a confirmed sailor. But, from there to play in the big league, there are still several oceans to cross ! Read more …
Weather4D embarks on the Vendée Globe 2020 [Break News]
No, it's not a joke ! Weather4D Embark with SailGrib in the Vendée Globe 2020 with Virtual Regatta. The two friends Henri and Olivier have together developed a routing module directly integrated into the game.
Philippe Guigné, the creator of the online game Virtual Regatta, explains in an interview with Voiles & Voiliers :
"… we want the virtual Vendée Globe to be aimed at the general public and it is therefore logical that we help neophytes by providing new tools. Thus, For this edition, we offer a routing assistance system, Directly integrated into the game, in partnership with SailGrib and Weather4D. These routings will first be simplified so that everyone can use them. In a second phase, We will set up more elaborate routings that will allow us to determine long-term strategies…”
A new evolution for the two leaders in navigation applications, Weather and routing on mobile devices, which should allow them to popularize their applications to a wide audience, and perhaps spark vocations among the large number of players who have never been on the water before.