Tony Bullimore
Blue Ocean Wireless Solo Round the World Challenge

The weather prognosis from Lee Bruce, Team Bullimore’s weather guru looks bleak for another 10 days at least. It is the American forecaster who will give Tony Bullimore the green light to set out from Hobart on his attempt to break the 70 day barrier for sailing solo non-stop around the world.

Bruce writes: ‘The timeline chart shows the wind forecast for a point within a day's sail to the southeast of the start in Hobart.

We would prefer to start in a north or northeast wind ahead of a frontal boundary.  This is to give a good sailing angle for the southeastward heading needed to get around New Zealand, and to help minimize the wave heights.

Instead of favourable winds, the timeline shows several bouts with strong southwest wind over the coming week.

Although that wind direction would put Tony on a reach, it also comes with a longer fetch than the north-quadrant wind,resulting in much more difficult--and slower--sailing due to large wave action.  Wave heights in the southwest wind should climb to 6-8 meters.

So, the weather does not look reasonable for a start. And in the longer-range outlook, unfavourable conditions look likely to persist through to 5 February at least.’