Resources

• Free Weather Resources (Chelsea Freas)

• Sea Tactics paid courses. Chelsea is as meteorologist and, unlike traditional weather courses which leave you drawing the lines yourself to understand how the weather affects your strategy, Chelsea teaches you weather AS IT APPLIES to your choices on the race course.

• Windy  weather app / online weather viewer. This platform allows you to adjust a large number of filters. My go-to controls are to display "isolines of pressure," reported wind, and to pay attention to what forecasts you are seeing. Additional useful filters include wind, wind gusts, weather radar, satellite view, waves, and swell.​

• Learn about which forecasts models to use and why.

• Local weather data, real-time, by region:

  • USA:

    • ​iKitesurf or Sailflow - best real-time weather data for east coast USA. The subscription makes it much more useful as it unlocks more wind stations. Web cams if available are also linked within the app.

    • Synoptic Charts and Analyses

  • UK:

    • Solent - Bramble Bank (near Southampton and Cowes)​

    • East Solent - Chichester Bar

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Navigation Programs: The two programs used for race navigation are Expedition and Adrena. Both programs are very capable and are used in the highest level of yacht racing. Expedition is primarily used in the America's, and Adrena is widely used throughout Europe. Expedition is less expensive, but Adrena has a simpler user-interface. Both programs take some time to learn, and private training courses are available.

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Expedition has a trial version which lasts for a limited period of time.

Adrena has two trial options - one full-function trial for a limited period of time, and a second type which you can use for an unlimited period of time. The limitations of the second type are that it cannot connect to instruments, and you can't save or export the courses or roadbooks (chart notes) that you create. However this trial is great for gaining familiarity with the program.

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Learning Expedition:

• Will Oxley has written two books on Expedition software: "a gentle introduction" and "Modern Race Navigation." Both are extremely valuable, and it is completely worth buying both of them and keeping them handy as a resource. (I have them on a Kindle app on my PC for easy access.)

• Hardware Service

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• Rigging Resources

  • Marlow loop strength data sheet

• Electrical

  • Nigel Calder's book "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual"

• Other​

  • ​"How Boat Things Work" (book)

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Crew Finders

• ​Newport Bermuda Race

• RORC Crew Match

Training Programs for Offshore Sailing​

USA / Caribbean:

• Ocean Racers

• New England Keelboat Alliance

• Oakcliff Sailing

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