NAVIGATION BRIEFING

All sailors use weather forecasts (and probably endlessly debate their accuracy), but wind observations are ‘ground truth’ and don’t lie. I have some tips for maximising the real-time information you can see, both online and using the naked eye.

For instance, if sailing west across the Solent you can utilise wind observations by checking the data from the Bramble Bank beacon or the starting platform at Lymington and have a really good idea of what wind speed and direction to expect. If racing,