Leg 2 - Bermuda to Azores - 17 May

SYNOPSIS:

CUT-OFF GALE NEAR 37N/49W WILL MOVE  SE TOWARDS 35N/53W WHILE STRENGTHENING SLIGHTLY THRU EARLY TOMORROW MORNING.  THEN MOVES N TOWARDS NEWFOUNDLAND, WEAKENING INTO A LOW THRU MIDDAY 20TH. WEAK HIGH EXTENDS ACROSS CENTRAL ATLANTIC IN THE WAKE  OF THE GALE/LOW BY  LATE 19TH, PERSISTING INTO LATE 21ST WITH LITTLE CHANGE.

CONCLUSION:
ALL BOATS STRONGLY ADVISED TO MOVE BELOW THE GALE TO BEST AVOID VERY STRONG WINDS AND LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY IT. WINDS WILL REACH ABOVE 30KTS, WITH GUSTS OF GALE FORCE WINDS AS SWELLS INCREASE WELL ABOVE 12FT IN NORTHERN GRIDS. THESE CONDITIONS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHERN PORTIONS (NORTH OF 33N) OF GRIDS CC AND EE DURING THE DAY TODAY. LOWER CONDITIONS IN GENERAL WILL BE FOUND ACROSS THE S'RN PORTIONS OF GRIDS AA, CC, AND EE TODAY AND TOMORROW. AS GALE LIFTS OUT, AND HIGH EXTENDS ACROSS CENTRAL ATLANTIC, WINDS AND SWELLS WILL LOWER TO MORE AGREEABLE LEVELS.


ZONE AA FORECAST:
17/12 GMT(T + 0):  WINDS N-NE(0 - 45)  14-19 GUSTS 22KTS.  SEAS 3-4  SWELLS NNE-ENE  6-9FT  (7SEC).  SKIES MOSTLY CLOUDY. SCATTERED SHWRS/SQUALLS*. CURRENTS ENE @ 0.6KTS.

18/00 GMT(T + 12):  WINDS NNW-NNE(338 - 23)  17-22 GUSTS 25KTS.  SEAS 3-4  SWELLS NNE-ENE  8-10FT  (8SEC).  CURRENTS NE @ 0.8KTS.

18/12 GMT(T + 24):  WINDS NW-N(315 - 0)  15-20 GUSTS 23KTS.  SEAS 3-4  SWELLS NNE-ENE  8-10FT  (8SEC).  CURRENTS ENE @ 0.4KTS.

19/00 GMT(T + 36):  WINDS W-NW(270 - 315)  12-17KTS.  SEAS 2-3  SWELLS NNE-ENE  6-8FT  (9SEC).  CURRENTS NE @ 0.6KTS.


ZONE DD FORECAST:
17/12 GMT(T + 0):  WINDS N-NE(0 - 45)  27-32 GUSTS 40KTS.  SEAS 5-6  SWELLS NNE-ENE  12-14FT  (6SEC).  SKIES MOSTLY CLOUDY. SCATTERED SHWRS/SQUALLS*. CURRENTS SE @ 1.6KTS.

18/00 GMT(T + 12):  WINDS N-NE(0 - 45)  29-34 GUSTS 40KTS.  SEAS 6-7  SWELLS NNE-ENE  14-16FT  (7SEC).  CURRENTS SSE @ 1.7KTS.

18/12 GMT(T + 24):  WINDS NNW-NNE(338 - 23)  24-29 GUSTS 32KTS.  SEAS 5-6  SWELLS NNE-ENE  13-15FT  (7SEC).  *. CURRENTS SSE @ 1.5KTS.

19/00 GMT(T + 36):  WINDS NNW-NNE(338 - 23)  18-23 GUSTS 27KTS.  SEAS 3-4  SWELLS NNE-ENE  11-13FT  (7SEC).  CURRENTS SSE @ 0.9KTS.

ZONE CC FORECAST:
17/12 GMT(T + 0):  WINDS NNW-NNE(338 - 23)  22-27 GUSTS 30KTS.  SEAS 4-5  SWELLS N-NE  8-10FT  (8SEC).  CURRENTS SE @ 0.8KTS.

18/00 GMT(T + 12):  WINDS WNW-NNW(293 - 338)  22-27 GUSTS 30KTS.  SEAS 4-5  SWELLS N-NE  10-12FT  (7SEC).  CURRENTS SE @ 0.5KTS.

18/12 GMT(T + 24):  WINDS WNW-NNW(293 - 338)  20-25 GUSTS 27KTS.  SEAS 4-5  SWELLS N-NE  11-13FT  (8SEC).  . CURRENTS SSE @ 0.7KTS.

19/00 GMT(T + 36):  WINDS W-NW(270 - 315)  16-22 GUSTS 25KTS.  SEAS 3-4  SWELLS NNW-NNE  9-11FT  (7SEC).  CURRENTS SE @ 0.7KTS.


ZONE EE FORECAST:
17/12 GMT(T + 0):  WINDS W-NW(270 - 315)  25-30 GUSTS 35KTS.  SEAS 5-6  SWELLS NNW-NNE  8-10FT  (8SEC).  SKIES MOSTLY CLOUDY. SCATTERED SHWRS/SQUALLS*. CURRENTS NNE @ 0.7KTS.

18/00 GMT(T + 12):  WINDS WSW-WNW(248 - 293)  27-32 GUSTS 37KTS.  SEAS 6-7  SWELLS WNW-NNW  10-12FT  (6SEC).  CURRENTS NNW @ 1.1KTS.

18/12 GMT(T + 24):  WINDS SW-W(225 - 270)  25-30 GUSTS 33KTS.  SEAS 5-6  SWELLS W-NW  10-12FT  (6SEC).  CURRENTS NNW @ 0.5KTS.

19/00 GMT(T + 36):  WINDS SW-W(225 - 270)  20-25KTS.  SEAS 4-5  SWELLS W-NW  8-10FT  (6SEC).  CURRENTS N @ 0.9KTS.

ENDS