Volvo Ocean Race
Sat 11 October 2008 10:30:11
Alicante Forecast:
With only a few hours to the start, there is still some uncertainty as to how the weather will develop over the next 24 hours. For now you can count on overcast conditions and gusty winds for the start.
Temperatures will be seasonable, in the mid 70F (20-23C); however, the overcast conditions and possible rain will make it feel cooler.
Any rain you do see will be heaviest this morning, tapering off for the afternoon.
Through the day today, you can expect NE'ly flow around 20 knots. You may see a bit of a drop off (to the mid teens) in the early morning, but look for the winds speeds to pick up again for the afternoon.
After the start, the wind speeds will average in the low 20s with possible gusts over 30 knots. The flow will generally be NE'ly but you may see right shifts go as far as E'ly by the end of the day.
Even more significant than the wind will be the seas. The sailors can expect swells to nearly 3m with additional wind driven chop on top.
Both the winds and the seas are expected to decrease as the boats head southwest towards the Straits of Gibraltar. The question is just how quickly the conditions will calm down.
For now it looks like a fast start with about 12 good hours of sailing before things start to slow down. However before anyone reaches the Straits of Gibraltar, the wind speeds are expected to drop below 5 knots.