Preview of the 2013 Atlantic Cup Leg 1, Charleston to New York

May 10, 2013

As previously posted, the first leg has the potential to be pretty exciting.  In really basic terms, I think it can be stated as follows:

First 24 hours = the reason we race boats (aka fantastic!)

Next 48 hours = um, I dunno…

The weather is fairly straightforward for the exit out of Charleston at this point, but once the boats hit the Hatteras area, there is potential for a major shakeup and if some of the forecasts hold true, potential “uncomfortable” conditions.  For example

Sunday
Winds shifting to N to NW 20 to 30 kt. W of 75w…seas 3 to 6 ft. E of 75w…seas 5 to 9 ft.

Mon
N winds 15 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 8 ft.

Might make for tough going for boats trying to get to NYC.  On the other hand, it’s most likely going to change in the next 12 hours, so stay tuned as things evolve before the start.