Weather

The Barcelona World Race covers almost all of the world’s macroclimatic zones, with the added obstacle of the Mediterranean and the passage through the Straits of Gibraltar and Cook.

Barcelona – Gibraltar Strait
This Mediterranean leg is some 530 nautical miles (983 km) long. Weather predictions for this area are much more difficult to make in comparison with the wide open ocean, due to the physical geography of the coast and its proximity, which produce variable and changeable situations, just miles apart. This is a very tactically challenging leg.

The passage through the Gibraltar Strait
Depending on the wind, this can be one of the most tricky points in the race. If there is a storm from the west after the start, or a storm from the east upon return to Barcelona, the IMOCA Open 60s may face a tough test. Gibraltar to the Canary Islands. This leg is some 640 miles (1,222 km) long. The boats sail in search of the NE trade winds here.

The passage through the Canaries
The passage through the Canary Islands is a tricky tactical challenge, as the breeze is channelled with considerable variations in intensity. The leeward passage of the islands must also be undertaken with care, due to the numerous windless pockets lurking in the zone, caused by the physical geography of the islands.

Canaries to the Equator
The boats may cover from 1,700 to 1,900 miles during this leg, depending on whether they choose to pass through the Equatorial lulls. During the initial part of the leg, the entries are pushed by the trades, but these diminish as the boats move closer to the Equator line. The tactics called by the skippers will be governed by the stability of these NE winds.

Passing the Equator
This is one of the most challenging zones in the race. Here the boats must pass the ‘Doldrums’: a ring of lulls around the planet, of varying breadth according to location and the time of year. This windless area can be as broad as 300 miles wide. The boats can take up to four days to get through the Equatorial zone. Once they’re out they can hunt for breeze in the numerous squalls nearby.

The Equator to the Cape of Good Hope
In their descent of the South Atlantic, the boats will cover between 3,200 and 3,600 miles. Here everything will hinge on the reign of the SE trades blowing in the Southern Hemisphere and on the evolution of the St Helena anticyclone. When the boats descend latitudes and move closer to 40ºS they will begin to negotiate the ‘Roaring Forties’; very strong winds from the west that throw up some huge swells.

Crossing the Southern Ocean
From the Cape of Good Hope to South Tasmania, the skippers will cross the most difficult stretch in the entire race. These 5,000 miles will be brimming with squalls from the south, and cold and wet conditions from the Roaring Forties. The tactics here will consist of positioning the boat in the best possible manner to take on the squalls generated by these winds.

Tasmania to Cook Strait
This leg covers a meteorological area with many sudden changes, which can, yet again, be very tricky. Here the weather conditions lead many of the entries to opt for a passage through the Bass Strait, separating Australia and the island of Tasmania.

The passage through Cook Strait
The passage through the Strait separating New Zealand’s North and South Islands tends to deliver some strong winds. Here the participants may evaluate the possibility of stopping off in Wellington for repairs, with an automatic obligatory penalty of a full 48 hours in the city.

South Pacific to Cape Horn
A 4,000-mile crossing where the skippers will yet again hit the Roaring Forties. The approach to the feared Cape Horn may give the boats thick, dense banks of fog. Here the negotiation of the squalls must be balanced with the obligatory rounding of the Horn. Conditions at Cape Horn can be very tough if the winds blow from the NW, sped up by the Andes.

Cape Horn to the Equator
The climb up the South Atlantic covers some 3,900 miles. The first tactical dilemma is where to pass the Falkland Islands. The second is how to take on the St Helena anticyclone, with winds blowing against the fleet. Here the entries will tend towards staying close the coast of Brazil. The Doldrums will throw up the same problems as they did on the way down.

The Equator to the Gibraltar Strait
A leg of approximately 2,550 miles in which the skippers will have to grapple with the anticyclone at the Azores. In this leg, the tactical options are crucial, especially when it comes to the distances between the entries.

The passage through the Gibraltar Strait and the final stretch to Barcelona
Here conditions will be similar to the start of the race.