ORCV Melbourne to Geelong (M2G)

The Modern Navigator.

OK. Stu Addison has sent us a snapshot in setting up as a tactical navigator. "Alas the days when the crew would joke of the naviguesser being stuck below with their 'pipe and slippers' are long gone. Paper charts are kept as a historical log, rather than as a real-time tool of the trade. These days, every smartphone can have a highly accurate chartplotter. If you're really serious, you can put a Nav system on the boat that will cost a fraction of a new sail and depending on the monkey driving it, yield much better results", said Stu.

"The advent of the information age means there is a myriad of free information to process while on the racetrack. Now a few years ago that may have left the navigator down below making decisions, surfing a number of weather sites and combining intellect and instinct to position the boat for best advantage, well, that too as changed."

Neville Rose in the windward pushpit and the sun with his tablet....

"Using a $400 laptop, a pocket WiFi unit and tablet device (between $400-800, plus a $10 waterproof cover of course!), you can be setup on deck, with all the data you can eat. Add a software package like Expedition and you've got a setup almost identical to a TP52, VO70, or any top line professional team. I'll give you a quick intro to a few features of the software and how I like to use it..."

"The Navigator's role is no longer to get from A to B without hitting anything - its analytical and tactical. My focus on board, is positioning for an expected shift, analysing realtime performance,  briefing the crew on the next turn/change, expected wind speed, angle and sail selection. To use this I have a series of tools:

1. Forecast: Fistly, I like to understand the synoptic situation, then look at the local wind forecast (usually put together by an experienced weathergeek with access to much better data than me). If my interpretation of the synoptic situation doesn't add up with the BoM, I dig deeper or even give them a buzz. Lastly, I look at the GRIB (wind files) and other models. If you don't understand what's driving the weather, then you can get into all sorts of bother when the GRIB you are following just isn't right. It could be the weather is early/late or that a system has moved North or South, which changes everything.
2. Routing: Step 1 of using the software. It takes a series of GRIBs and lays them over the racetrack, adds in your boats polars (or from something similar) and gives you a suggestion of the fastest way to get from A to B. Something I start doing about five or six days out so I can get a feel for how the models are developing and changing. The number of times the routing three days out is more accurate than the file on the day is staggering! Having a backlog of them to access is essential. Below is an example of this morning's routing using a Farr 40 polar for Course #7."

"At this point I'd be playing with a few changes in the base GRIB file, looking at what effect a little more left or right would make to the routing or even what a touch more or less breeze will do. I'd also be looking at other souces of model ouput. The Euro model is excellent too."

Want to part of that fun thing called the Geelong event on September 10? Go HERE. That's press the 'here' to get in the Geelong, Geelong, Geeelong, Geelong, Geelong, Geelong, Geelong event. Did we mention Geelong? Press HERE to go to GEELONG on September 10.

As each race finishes, the MWS results will be HERE.

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© John Curnow, ORCV Media

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	Celebrating its 41st consecutive running - the Winter Series was first run in 1972 and is still the same format today! Be a part of the Bay's hottest racing at the coldest time of year or just pop out at the end, for the Bay's favourite bash - the event officially known just as Melbourne to Geelong, but you may have other names for it...
	In September, the Melbourne to Geelong event  finishes the Winter Series off and there will be presentations at RGYC for it. Of course, by the time Stanley comes around,  you just know Silly Season proper is upon you...
	Many thanks to Hobbos and particularly Tony Dawson for getting our favourite shooters - Teri and Alex - out on the water aboard Privateer. Many thanks also to Jon Bilger and his PredictWind   team who provide us with great information for both Race Management and Marketing Communications, alike.