METEO CONSULT weather bulletin for Sunday, April 20

General situation

This Sunday, moderate and unstable northerly flow behind a low pressure system centered at 997 hPa over the Pays de la Loire.

On Monday, moderate west-northwest flow over the Bay of Biscay, between a depression centered at 1009 hPa in the North Sea and an anticyclone centered at 1027 hPa south of the Azores archipelago.

On Tuesday, the Azores High will extend along a ridge of high pressure towards the south of the Bay of Biscay, passing through the northwestern part of Spain with light wind conditions.

Weather conditions in Concarneau :

Sunday, April 20 :

Cloudy skies with clear spells. The feeling is cool with the north wind.

North wind 20 to 25 km/h with gusts to 40 km/h

Temperatures from 10 to 15°C

Chance of precipitation: 10%

Weather conditions for the start of the Transat Paprec at 1:02 p.m. in Concarneau Bay :

Confirmation of good wind conditions for the start of the race with a northerly wind between 12 and 15 knots and gusts of 20 to 23 knots. These medium wind conditions will provide a beautiful spectacle in Concarneau Bay for the coastal course between 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. The sea will be calm but a little unruly. A southwesterly swell of around 50 cm will meet with 20 cm waves formed by the northerly wind blowing over the water. As for the sky, clouds will dominate but some clear spells will develop and the risk of showers will be very low.

Weather conditions at sea for the start of the Transat Paprec

Sunday, April 20 :

It's a great start to the race, with the wind blowing northwest and quickly strengthening offshore to between 17 and 20 knots, allowing the skippers to sail across at an average speed of 11-12 knots. Maximum gusts could reach 25 to 28 knots. A lively and almost optimal start to the game, with a speed race from the first miles to be covered on the Bay of Biscay. The only downside is the sea, which will quickly become rough to strong, with 2m waves coming from the starboard side, making sailing uncomfortable. In the evening and early night from Sunday to Monday, the wind will turn from the left and return to the west, blowing at a speed close to 20 knots with gusts of 25-28 knots. In the middle of the night, with the approach of a disturbed front, the wind will turn southwest, decreasing in intensity, blowing between 10 and 15 knots. With this wind refusing (coming from the front of the boat), the sailors will have to tack with a northwesterly course. After the passage of the not very active front with some rain, the skippers will be able to resume a direct route to La Coruña under a brisk northwesterly wind of around twenty knots with gusts of 25 to 28 knots as the squalls pass.

Monday, April 21 :

In the morning, the sailors will be in the heart of the Bay of Biscay and will sail with a northwesterly wind of around 15 knots, allowing them to make a direct cross-country route towards the coast of Galicia, Spain. At midday and in the afternoon of Monday, they will see the wind ease to 8-10 knots as they take a slight left to steer west-northwest. With a less favorable wind angle and less sustained wind, the skippers will inexorably slow down in a sea that will remain rough with a westerly swell of around 2 meters. They will have to anticipate the arrival of a ridge of high pressure from the south that will be impossible to circumvent. The game will open with different trajectory options that will be taken by the skippers. They will have to try to stay as short as possible in the ridge of high pressure. During the evening and night of Monday into Tuesday, in the southern part of the Bay of Biscay, the westerly wind will become increasingly weak and erratic, putting the sailors' nerves to the test. Depending on the route options, some could do well, as the wind will be very unpredictable across the water. Some will be able to enjoy good gusts while others will be in calm conditions.

Tuesday, April 22 :

In the morning, the sailors will only make slow progress towards the Spanish coast, under a still light and irregular west-southwest wind. For the sailors positioned furthest west, the wind will be a little stronger, they could opt for a passage west of DST Finisterre and gain a few miles on their competitors. In the afternoon, the west-southwest wind will pick up a little, allowing the sailors to regain some speed. They will have to avoid getting too close to the coast in the La Coruña sector where a zone of light wind could play spoilsport. It is early in the night that the first sailors should reach Cape Finisterre. They will see the wind shift to the northwest and will be able to make progress downwind again, but speeds will remain low.

Wednesday, April 23

Wind conditions will improve this Wednesday with a northerly flow of around ten knots, which will allow for downwind sailing along the Iberian coast towards Porto. The gaps are likely to become significant between the frontrunners who managed to escape the ridge of high pressure early tonight and the backrunners who will still be in light airs Wednesday morning. It's likely to start from the front with a northerly wind that will gain in intensity towards Portugal. By the end of the day, the frontrunners will be sailing in a breeze of around fifteen knots. With the wind coming from behind the boats, the skippers will have to make a few gybes along their route.

Full bulletin here: https://marine.meteoconsult.fr/