For dinghy sailors in the Pacific Northwest, The WVYC Pumpkin Bowl Regatta is a very big deal with 100+ Opti’s out last weekend and 104 ILCA & doublehanded boats out this weekend. Unfortunately, it is the fall and we are finally transitioning from our dry and smokey summer to our more normal cooler and wetter conditions. In these transitional periods, the wind can be a bit frustrating as the frontal systems are still being degraded as they come onshore. Conditions offshore this weekend for the west side of Vancouver Island and the West Coast of Washington will be cranking on Saturday with 25 to 30-knots of Northwesterly breeze. Sunday will see the breeze transition from NE to SE as another stronger frontal system approaches the coast.
For the race area off of WVYC, Howe Sound, and Passage Island this will mean the following: From 0800 until about 1300 hrs expect winds to be light and variable. At around 1300-1400hrs expect a nice 5-10 knots of WNW breeze to be coming down the Strait of Georgia and into the Race Area. This will hold until about 1800 hrs when the breeze will begin to ease.
For Sunday from 0800 until about 1100 expect a southerly breeze of 4-6 knots. From 1100 until about 1500hrs the breeze will back to the SSE and build slightly to 5-10 knots. From 1500hrs to 1800hrs the breeze will back to the SE and build into the 8-12 knot range.
Today’s surface analysis chart shows the weak (1007mb) low-pressure system offshore with its attached frontal systems. This will move through the area today with a building high-pressure system offshore. Saturday the pressure gradient will ease over the Salish Sea with a weak trough of low-pressure running from Eastern Washington to Vancouver Island.
The Sunday surface forecast chart (48hr) shows the next stronger low-pressure system moving from the Gulf of Alaska to SE Alaska with a frontal system that will bring more wind and more rain by midday Monday and into Tuesday.
For boaters in the Puget Sound Basin on Saturday, you will have a nice northerly in the morning but easing to light and variable by mid-afternoon.
Sunday will be a much better day for sailing with a consistent 5-12 knots of southerly the entire day.
Enjoy the weekend!
Bruce has raced and cruised the Pacific Northwest his entire life. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Washington in Biological Oceanography and learned meteorology “to keep from getting kicked around on the race course.” Bruce spent nearly two decades as Associate Publisher for Northwest Yachting Magazine, retiring in mid-2015, and was the chairman of the board of trustees for the Northwest Marine Trade Association in 2014. (photo of Bruce driving Playstation is a bit dated, but cool)