Tony Bullimore
Blue Ocean Wireless Solo Round the World Challenge

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Day 17 - Southerly winds today!

Friday, 18 May 2007

Date May 17 2007 05:14GMT Position 038° 07'S 161° 03'W Speed 7.0 knots Course 224 Degrees True Wind Conditions  NNW 10 knots The expectation of southerly winds arriving over Tony Bullimore's 102ft catamaran Doha today, has put a joyous note into the British skipper's voice, and he is now making some progress westwards towards New Zealand at last. "The winds have calmed considerably, and I am currently heading south west to be in a position to make most of the SSW winds expected to arrive once the small depression dictating the current weather, has moved southeast." The British solo yachtsman reported via his Blue Ocean Wireless satellite phone last night. Lee Bruce, Team Bullimore's weather guru predicts: "Starting about 18/00GMT, the breeze should start backing and weakening. By 06:00GMT it should be WNW 10kt By 12:00GMT a small depression is expected to move southeastward over Doha's 17/12GMT position, bringing squalls and shifty wind - even a period of near calm. To the west of the depression, the wind becomes S to SSW 25kt, and by 19.00GMT, that wind will gradually fill in across Doha's 17/12GMT position. The one downside is the squalliness of these winds. By 19/12GMT this southerly wind will have built to 30+knots, then gradually weaken as high pressure moves in. Once we have a handle on Tony's relative position in these building southerly winds, we can decide on the most appropriate course towards Auckland.  Most likely, I will get Tony to take a heading north of west to avoid the center of the High, which would be just fine in those winds.  But a period of light air is likely near the high, giving him another chance to catch up on sleep!"