Elisa's Journey - Approaching Canary Islands

We’ve reached an important tactical point in the race as we approach the Canary Islands. Just over 100 miles away, the crew has been working hard all afternoon to keep our speeds up. Winds have been getting lighter, so steadiness at the helm and patience are key.

A low pressure system coming in across the Atlantic will show changes in wind direction over the next 24 hours, so our approach to the Canaries must be carefully planned. Certain areas are likely to have very light winds, so we must choose the best course to keep our boat speed up. So far so good.

When making our plans, we consult our weather report which is updated every two days. It has predictive forecasting, but local wind effects within the Canary Island region will vary. Skippers from previous races have handed down advice, so we have a benefit of learning from their past experiences. One tip in particular has served us very well, but it must be kept under wraps at this time! Progress of the other Clippers also provides clues to help us with planning. The rest is up to us.

Sometimes we will see another competitor that has only covered half our distance, in the same time – we consider what might have slowed them down. Did the weather change in their location, or are they having sail troubles? If a boat is much faster than us, we look at our options – is there any way we can improve?

Our crew looks forward to each report on the boat positions to see if we’ve moved ahead, and what path the others are taking. Right now our distance to Rio isn’t as important as our position in relation to the approaching weather system. It’s all very exciting!