AUTUMN SAILING
At the end of every summer holiday there seems to be a shift in the weather; the winds start to bite and the days feel a little greyer. Whether this is real or psychological is something of a hot topic, with passionate arguments from both sides. Some are convinced of the ‘Equinoctial Gale’ – a period of guaranteed storms around the equinoxes in March and September. However, meteorologists studying annual statistics dispute this, saying there is no more chance of a gale (when wind exceed 34 knots, or 62km/hr) at the equinox than any other day of the year. What we all agree on, however, is that there is a definite shift from summer to autumn in September – and it is not just because school holidays are over and we need to knuckle down for a new academic year.
An important natural process happens in September, and it is to do with the changing angle of
