2008 Bermuda Race Package

WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED FOR THE NEWPORT-BERMUDA RACE ??

Many competitors spend a lot of money for pre-race seminars and tutoring on the Gulf Stream, and for advice on choosing the optimal route. WHY ??

The only Gulf Stream that matters is the one that exists the day of the start. And while this is important for routing, by far the most important factor is the wind. Knowledge of the Gulf Stream is essential to a winning strategy, but it is secondary to and must be integrated with the wind - and this cannot be predicted more than a day or so in advance.

Moreover, the only way to properly balance the effects of wind and current over days of sailing is to employ this data in a well-designed routing program. This is not something that you can do in your head, and none of today's "rockstar" navigators attempt it. To level the playing field with the pros, routing software is a must.

Finally, optimal routing depends critically on your boat's performance characteristics (so-called "polars"). Some boats sail more effectively at certain wind angles than others, and of course at different speeds. This is critical because the wind pattern can change a great deal in a matter of hours, so the time it takes a boat to reach a given point will determine what wind it experiences once it gets there.

THE BOTTOM LINE: there is no way to determine the optimal route without knowing the actual current and wind you will see in the race, and the only accurate way to compute it is with routing software, using the actual polars for your boat ...

THE SOLUTION: save the money you would otherwise spend in pre-race seminars, Gulf Stream analysis and non-specific "routing" advice, and instead purchase final current and wind data for the race and reliable routing software. Once you have the data in digital format (a PC file), you can overlay it on charts, compute routes and even make printouts, if you prefer. You will achieve a much better result and probably save money - and the savings will accumulate in future races since you will only need to purchase the data.

In 2000 "Local Knowledge" introduced new "Atlantic" packages, including comprehensive current & wind models in digital format to support electronic displays and tactical computations. Our current modules include a high-resolution description of the Gulf Stream and detailed tidal-current predictions of the Chesapeake, Long Island and Newport waters and Buzzard's Bay. Our tactical programs combine wind, current and boat performance characteristics to find the fastest route from point to point.

In 2002 we provided current data and tactical software to more than a score of racers, and in 2004 and 2006 we more than doubled the number of our clients in the race. In the odd years we have likewise supported the Marion-Bermuda Race. These packages have become more and more popular each year, and the latest versions of our software are included in our 2008 Newport-Bermuda package.

OUR 2008 NEWPORT-BERMUDA RACE PACKAGE: $950

LATEST AND BEST TACTICAL/ROUTING SOFTWARE: ADVANTAGE LEVEL 2

DETAILED DIGITAL HIGH-RESOLUTION GULF STREAM FORECAST

DETAILED TIDAL-CURRENT MODEL FOR NEWPORT/BLOCK ISLAND WATERS

2 WIND FORECAST FILES: VERY HIGH RESOLUTION FOR START, PLUS HIGH

(Advantage 2 alone lists for $900, and the current/wind data sold separately is $250)

Buy this Package for the Bermuda Race and use Advantage for Newport/Block Island (or LI Sound) races the rest of the season. In future offshore races, just purchase our discounted Gulf Stream current module for Advantage clients (just $150).

TRY IT OUT WITH A DEMO! ADVANTAGE PROVIDES MORE TACTICAL FUNCTIONS, AND MORE ACCURACY THAN ANY OTHER RACING SOFTWARE, WITH UNIQUE FEATURES ...

(Demo is complete working version of program and includes 2006 Newport-Bermuda Race current and wind data for practice)