WEATHER AND SAILING
The internet as a medium is becoming increasingly important not least because of the tremendous increase in data transmission speeds seen in the last few years. There are tradeoffs of range, speed and cost for the internet as for other services. But in some ways yachtsmen are spoiled for choice.

 

 

MIDAS - Internet Weather Service for Yachtmen by Tim Thornton(Smartcom Software)

Different user have different demands of their weather service. While day and weekend sailors may require just current weather and a short-term forecasts they will not have the same keen interest in longer-term synoptic forecasts. For blue-water sailors it is rather the reverse; while a forecast for this afternoon might be nice, a synoptic forecast will allow them to prepare for coming weather


The access methods to observations and forecasts are different too. For the day sailor the marina and the radio Shipping Forecast may well be enough but the long-range sailor needs other sources. Each has its limitations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The MIDAS project started in 2003 with the aim of delivering satellite weather data to yachtmen. Smartcom with its partners ComSine and QinetiQ are developing a one-stop shop that supplies weather reports and forecasts directly to the yachtsman in easily understood form. While this is a major step forward in data availabililty there is already another development: under the European Galileo programme Smartcom are working on a system which delivers data on weather ( and potentially other things) which depends on where the user is. The At-sea Location Information System (ALIS) promises to be a significant system for the yachtman in the near future.

More information can be found on the Smartcom website www.smartcomsoftware.com

 

Summary by Geoff Meggitt and Carol Sparkes