METEO CONSULT weather bulletin for Saturday, April 19

General situation

This Saturday, light southwesterly wind conditions will prevail, on the fringes of a vast low pressure system centered at 996 hPa over the southern Bay of Biscay.

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 1005 hPa in the North Sea and an anticyclone centered at 1027 hPa south of the Azores archipelago.

Weather conditions in Concarneau :

Saturday, April 19 :

Very cloudy skies with some clear spells between the morning and early afternoon. The weather will deteriorate in the evening with rain or showers.

Prevailing southwest wind 5 to 15 km/h, turning northwest in the late afternoon

Temperatures from 11 to 15°C.

Chance of precipitation: 20% during the day, 70% in the evening

Sunday, April 20 :

Very cloudy skies with some brief clearings during the afternoon. Slight risk of showers.

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

Temperatures from 10 to 15°C

Chance of precipitation: 30%

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. The sea will be calm but a little unruly. A southwesterly swell of around 80 cm will meet with 40 cm waves formed by the northerly wind blowing over the water. As for the sky, clouds will dominate with rare clearings and the risk of showers will be 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 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 few 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. In the middle of the night, they will encounter a first disturbed front with a west-southwest wind of 15 to 18 knots ahead of the front, veering northwest behind the disturbance. This front will not be very active with moderate rain as it passes and gusts of around 25 knots. They will have to tack ahead of the front with the wind turning south-west, coming from the front of the boat. They will be able to resume a direct route to La Coruña after the front passes with the wind direction to the north-west.

Monday, April 21 :

In the morning, the sailors will be in the heart of the Bay of Biscay and will be sailing with a 15-knot northwest wind, allowing them to make a direct cross-country course 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 veer west-northwest. They will slow down significantly, making only 7-8 knots of speed. The sea will remain rough with a west swell of around 2 meters. In the evening and overnight from Monday to Tuesday, as they approach the Spanish coast, the west to northwest wind will lose strength and the sailors will not make very fast progress, especially as the sea will remain rough.

Tuesday, April 22 :

The sailors will complete their descent of the Bay of Biscay under a westerly wind that is still too weak and erratic. On Tuesday afternoon, the westerly wind will pick up a little, allowing the first sailors to reach Cape Finisterre. During the evening and night of Tuesday into Wednesday, the wind will shift from the right to the northwest. They will therefore find a more favorable wind angle and will be able to make downwind progress toward the Portuguese coast. The sea will remain rough with a northwesterly swell approaching 2 meters.

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