Weather and Navigator Courses Now Open!

The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) is thrilled to announce the launch of its highly anticipated Weather and Navigator courses, designed to empower boating enthusiasts, sailors, and adventurers with essential skills for mastering the seas. Whether you're a seasoned mariner or a newcomer to the world of sailing, these courses offer invaluable knowledge to enhance your safety, confidence, and enjoyment on the water.

Dive Into the Weather Course

After the start from White Spirit Photo Cyrus Allen

Photo by Cyrus Allen

Understanding the weather is a cornerstone of safe and successful sailing. The ORCV Weather Course provides participants with the tools to interpret meteorological data, predict conditions, and make informed decisions on the water. From decoding synoptic charts to recognizing the signs of impending weather changes, this course equips you with practical skills that could make all the difference during your next voyage.

Tailored to suit a range of experience levels, the Weather Course is perfect for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the elements. Visit the Weather Course page for full details on session dates and booking information.

Chart Your Path with the Navigator Course

WeatherNav

Navigation is the art and science of finding your way across the open water, and the ORCV Navigator Course is your gateway to mastering it. This comprehensive program covers everything from traditional chart work to modern electronic navigation techniques. Learn how to plot courses, account for tides and currents, and use the latest tools to ensure you reach your destination safely and efficiently.

Whether you’re preparing for a coastal cruise or an offshore adventure, this course offers hands-on learning that’s both practical and engaging. Check out the Navigator Course page to explore the program details and secure your spot.

Book 2 Courses and Save 25%

To celebrate the launch of these exciting courses, ORCV is delighted to offer a 25% discount for participants who enroll in both the Weather and Navigator courses.

If you want to take advantage of this exclusive deal, simply book each course separately and enter the promo code Weather&Nav2025 in the Gift Certificate/Promotion Code box at checkout for each course. This is a fantastic opportunity to build a well-rounded skill set at a reduced rate!

Book your spot for the Weather Course and Navigator Course to start your journey toward becoming a more skilled and confident sailor.

The sea is calling—equip yourself with the knowledge to answer it. We look forward to welcoming you aboard!

Fundamentals, Enclosed Waters

Click Here Meeting Link for final session Tuesday 1st August 2023 ONLY

2022 Fundimental Weather Session 1 Student notes

2022 Fundimental Weather Session 2 Student Notes

2022 Fundamental Weather Session 3 Student Notes

Useful Videos

The History of the Barometer

How to Calabrate you Barometer

3 Laws of Motion

Coriolis effect

Temperature

Understanding Vectors in Sailing

Introductory Meteorology

Introducing MetEye

Tide Calculators

Rule of Twelfths Calculator

All About Tides

Port Philip Heads Tides

Currents

Imos Ocean Currents

TideTech

Weather Sites

2021 Weather for Sailors Fundamental Weather Knowledge

2021 Fundamental Weather Session 2 Student Notes

2021 Fundamental Weather Session 3 Student Notes

2021 Weather for Sailors Module 2 Coastal Knowledge

2021 Weather Coastal Waters Voyages Student Notes

2021 Weather for Sailor Module 3 Trans-Ocean Knowledge Section

2021 Weather for Sailors Module 3 Trans Ocean Student Notes Session 1 and 2

Weather and East Coast Lows

Do you understand the weather forecasts ? This weekend's East Coast Low is hard to miss, see http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-04/storm-warning-east-coast-braces-for-flooding-strong-winds-rain/7477244 for details.

Attached are images captured on Friday by Robin sourced from the BOM, predicting this East Coast Low. Note the Synoptic chart, 500Hpa Temperature and Humidity forecast. Robin notes the combination of high humidity and very low temperature at 500Hpa together with the troughs funnelling air.

More from Robin H: East coast lows generally have very cold upper level areas fed with moist humid air from tropical areas. The high centred further south than usual at this time of the year is feeding the very cold air over NSW and then the trough feeding moist warm air in is a classical recipe for trouble. Thus inspection of temperature at the 500 mb level and then relative humidity to confirm the ingredients for trouble is a simple procedure for a do-it-yourselfer.

Low1

Low3 Low2

Today the ORCV Weather course kicked off, run by ORCV's Weather expert Robin Hewitt.

Weather

Robin watches the weather in all our major races, particularly the Osaka keeping an eye out for weather events such as this.

Strong Weather Alert!!! 2014 ORCV Weather Course Starting This Sunday!

Attention all budding meteorologists, navigators and seasoned skippers alike who are looking for every opportunity to learn more about the weather around us as well as the state of the art resources now available to all sailors at the click of a mouse, or touch of a smart phone....

The all new 2014 ORCV Weather Course commences this Sunday with Modules One and Two - Fundamentals of Weather Terminology and Closed Waters.

When and Where?

Sunday 13 April, 2014 - Registration starts at 8:30am

South Yarra Sports (Melbourne High School), Chapel Steet, South Yarra.

There are still a few places available, so go to our 2014 Weather Course home page for course details and registration, HERE.

"The contents of the 2014 ORCV Weather Course will blow your mind!" - 40 year ocean racing vetran skipper.

ORCV Announces the Launch of its All New Weather Course for 2014.

The ORCV Training Sub-Committee has prepared an all new weather course designed to inform all types of sailors (racers and cruising sailors alike), how to observe weather conditions and how to find the right forecasting advice from the vast array of modern resources available.

When and Where?

Modules One (Fundamentals of Weather Terminology) and Two (Enclosed Waters) - Sunday 13 April, 2014. Registration at 8:30am

Module Three (Coastal - up to 3 days duration) - Monday 28 April, 2014. Commencing at 6:15pm

Module Four (Trans-Oceanic) - Monday 5 May, 2014. Commencing at 6:15pm

All ORCV Weather Courses are held at South Yarra Sports (Melbourne High School). See the main ORCV Weather Course website for more details.

The Bureau of Meteorology has made significant progress with it’s forecasting in recent times and now achieves remarkable accuracy, especially out to 3 days.

With easy to use graphics and continual improvements the Bureau is working towards achieving higher degrees of accuracy for up to seven days and this technology has changed the focus of sailors.

This new course concentrates on the practical facets of weather applied to sailing, designed to cover the terminology, conditions and weather forecasting resources that will allow sailors of all persuasions to plan their trip from an afternoon on the Bay, through to a trans-ocean passage such as a Melbourne to Vanuatu or Melbourne to Osaka race, and the return delivery passages.

Further Details can be found on the ORCV Weather Course Website Here.