General Situation:
This Friday, weak to moderate northeasterly flow over the Bay of Biscay, on the edge of an anticyclone at 1025
hPa centred on the UK.
Saturday, weak northeasterly flow on the margin between a depression over central Spain at 1013 hPa and a
anticyclonic axis stretching from the south of the Azores towards the British Isles.
Sunday, light wind conditions on the Bay of Biscay ahead of a disturbed southerly regime on the
near Atlantic with a cold front circulating at the 13°W meridian.
Weather conditions in Gijon
Friday August 30
Clouds dominate and are temporarily accompanied by a little rain.
Wind: variable, light in the morning, turning north to northeast 10 to 15 km/h in the afternoon
Temperatures: 20 to 22°C
Chance of precipitation: 50%
Saturday August 31
Clouds continue to occupy the terrain and the weather becomes more unstable with a risk of showers
which can take on a stormy character.
Wind: northeast 10-15 km/h, gusts 25-30 km/h
Temperatures: 19 to 22°C
Chance of precipitation: 60%
Sunday September 1st
Very cloudy to overcast skies, which may be temporarily accompanied by a little drizzle. Visibility
temporarily reduced by fog in the morning.
Wind: variable, light in the morning, northwesterly 5 to 10 km/h in the afternoon
Temperatures: 18 to 21°C
Risk of precipitation: 30%
Weather conditions for the start of the race in Gijon this Sunday, September 1st at 2 p.m.
Light wind conditions await the Figaro fleet for the start of this second stage which will take them from Gijon to Royan via Cape Finisterre.
Reliability is good (80%) regarding these low starting wind conditions.
At 2 p.m., a northerly wind of 4 to 6 knots is expected on the Gijon waters. This light weather will be accompanied by a very cloudy sky, leaving little room for clearings.
The risk of rain will be low and the sea will be calm with a small northwest swell of around 50 cm.
Sea conditions this Sunday, September 1st and the following night The start of this second leg is expected to be very sluggish and complicated due to the light and irregular winds along the Cantabrian coast in the afternoon and evening of this Sunday. The skippers will have to take game options from the start, taking into account the tidal currents and the wind more or less well established along the coast.
The risk of calm is not temporarily excluded in this complicated weather transition zone before finding air towards Cape Finisterre.
The sailors will have to be patient and watch for the slightest gust of wind to make progress on the water.
In the evening, the wind will turn from the left to turn west. They will have to tack and head northwest, the aim being to quickly catch the northwest flow established behind a cold front. It is in the middle of the night from Sunday to Monday that the northwesterly wind should return to the sails, allowing the sailors to resume a direct route towards Cape Ortegal, northwest of the Iberian Peninsula.
With the arrival of the front the wind will strengthen to reach 15 to 18 knots, which will allow the skippers to regain speed and restart the race.
Weather conditions at sea Monday September 2
On Monday morning, the wind will shift from the right to the north at around ten knots. This will allow them to sail downwind to reach Cape Ortegal before midday.
Subsequently, the north wind will strengthen towards Cape Finisterre. It will reach between 15 and 20 knots in the afternoon, which will allow them to accelerate.
A speed race will begin within the fleet but the sailors will have to face a sea that will become rough to strong with waves of more than 2 meters.
At the end of the day, on the descent towards Cape Finisterre, they will have to make one or two gybes before reaching the MS Finisterre passage mark (ETA 22 hours this Monday for the first).