It was time to go. Sailing up the east coast of Australia at the end of a cyclone season can be challenging and dangerous for even the most experienced sailors. The north-east coast of Australia is known for its unpredictable weather patterns and the danger of encountering strong winds and rough seas is real. Cyclones can bring winds of up to 100+ knots, huge waves and changeable currents. And with our departure date barely hanging off the end of cyclone season in April (the season typically runs from November to April), we had these extreme weather events firmly in the forefront of our minds.
Boat captain Ben Roulant and I religiously studied the forecasts leading up to our departure, as well as monitoring sea and air temperatures in the surrounding area. We triple-checked our short and long term predictions, comparing multiple systems on Predictwind to make sure we had a clear window to get through the Great Barrier Reef.
In the end, we found ourselves chasing southerly winds for 1,500 miles up the east coast, each day getting slightly warmer and more tropical as we steadily headed to a lower latitude. The 20-25 knots of south-easterly tradewinds provided fantastic sailing conditions, leaving us to play with poled-out headsails and spinnakers day in and day out. Once tucked inside the reef the swell disappeared, but the sailing became a bit more challenging.
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Yachting World.
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Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Yachting World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
NIKKI HENDERSON
WHERE DO YOU FIND HANDY BILLY WHEN YOU NEED HIM?
MATTHEW SHEAHAN
IS OLYMPIC SAILING ACTUALLY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS A SHOWCASE OF THE SPORT FOR BOTH COMPETITORS AND SPECTATORS?
Building fleet for Baltic Sea Race
The second edition of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, a 635-mile race out of Helsinki, Norway, saw varied conditions and a new benchmark course time set.
New cruising charter 'Odyssey'
Charter company Dream Yacht has launched a new round the world supported cruising programme for yacht owners which draws on the company's extensive network of charter bases.
Mixed fortunes at Marseille
The Paris 2024 sailing regatta saw mixed fortunes for many favourites - some confirming their dominance, others crashing out as variable winds played havoc.
The yacht Bayesian
Bayesian is one of Italian yard Perini Navi's 56m series, originally named Salute.
Seven dead in superyacht sinking
Seven people are dead following the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian, a 56m/184ft British-flagged Perini Navi, off the coast of Sicily.
5 EXPERT TIPS HELENA DARVELID ON MULTIHULL CONTROL
Performance multihull racing is growing hugely in popularity. Helena Darvelid shares some key learnings with Andy Rice
PALMA'S FUN FACTOR
FUN ON AND OFF THE WATER IS AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION AT THE SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA, WRITES PHIL RILEY
SWAN 88 DREAMCATCHER
GLOBAL LEADERS AT THE SEMI-CUSTOM END OF THE PRODUCTION SCENE, NAUTOR SWAN INVITED US FOR THE FIRST SEA TRIALS OF ITS BIG NEW 88
