WEATHER BRIEFING

{Chris Tibbs is a meteorologist and weather router. He has sailed over 300,000 miles, including three round the world races}

Atlantic crossings are usually spoken of in terms of days of running west before the tradewinds (although as sailors we are rarely satisfied and yearn for an angle to turn the dead run into a reach!). Crossing towards Europe poses a different set of issues, but also some good sailing, as we head north into disturbed westerlies.

Leaving the Caribbean we head north through the horse latitudes (30°N) where the Azores high ridges towards Florida and the wind becomes light and variable. Once through this ridge we should be able to follow a route north of the high in mainly westerly winds, but