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Boats Racing Through
Tropical Aftermath
July 19, 2007 03:35 AM PDT
(KHNL) - Some are tracking the tropical system
Cosme to see if it will take the wind out of their
sails.
As dozens of yachts race toward Hawaii, support
crews for these boats sailing across the Pacific
Ocean in the Transpac race keep a close eye on
Cosme.
It has already had an impact on the race, as
crews have had to chart their course around this
tropical system.
"It was south of the course to Hawaii, by about a
thousand miles, but it was forecast to head on a
course that would intersect the boats course."
says Roy Disney, a Transpac sailor, with two
boats in the race.
Having a tropical system in the pacific is not
necessarily a bad thing for Transpac racers, it
just all depends on which side of the storm you
find yourself.
Winds circulate counter clockwise around low
pressure systems, like Cosme, so boats headed
to Hawaii can get a push in the right direction if
they are to the west of the storm. But winds to
the east won't help get them to Hawaii any
quicker. "The back side of systems like that is
always a dead zone." adds Disney.
Support team members of the yacht "Morning
Light" are not only tracking the storm, but they
are also in contact with the ship.
"We talk to them every day, we send out an
email and wait for them to let us know how things
are going" says Transpac sailor, Graham Brant-
Zawadzki.
And after a slow start to the race with light winds,
the prospect of stronger winds is exciting to
sailors. And stormy weather is just another
aspect of the sea they have trained for.
"If its going to be real intense you batten down
the hatches and try to ride it out, but if its
something the boat can handle , you go for it."
says Brant-Zawadzki.
73 boats started off the Transpac race and the
first finishers are expected , this weekend, that
is, weather permitting.
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Roy Disney
Graham Brant-Zawadzki
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TRANSPAC RACE STATUS
