Weather forecastsScary - or beautiful? How sailors can use windy.com

Jochen Rieker

 · 17.12.2018

Weather forecasts: scary - or beautiful? How sailors can use windy.comPhoto: BOOTE/C. Tiedt, Montage: N. Campe
Grey - or blue? How to avoid surprises when planning your cruise
Windy is the most comprehensive free weather portal on the net. Professor Ralf Brauner and professional sailor Boris Herrmann explain the most important functions

Since its launch four years ago, the weather website windy.com has grown steadily. Today, it offers 35 forecast parameters, all in a visually appealing, impressively clear form, either on PC or mobile devices under Android and iOS. No other free portal even comes close to this range of functions.

  Windy-Standard: Comparison of wind forecasts from different forecast models (ECMWF, GFS, ICON, NEMS)Photo: windy.com Windy-Standard: Comparison of wind forecasts from different forecast models (ECMWF, GFS, ICON, NEMS)

Windy, a development by Czech internet entrepreneur Ivo Lukacovic, is so good that even professional sailors and scientists now use it. The site is also a favourite among regatta and blue water sailors - if only to be able to better classify the forecasts of other weather services.

Long-standing DWD meteorologist Professor Dr Ralf Brauner and offshore professional Boris Herrmann have analysed the most important forecast levels and tools for YACHT. As part of the major navigation special, they describe on eight pages what Windy now offers, what new functions are available and how sailors should proceed step by step if they want to put together their own personalised route weather.

A must for all skippers who want to expand their knowledge in winter so that they can make even better decisions when planning their trips next spring.

Now in the new YACHT 2/2019 - from today in well-stocked newsagents or order directly here!

Jochen Rieker

Jochen Rieker

Herausgeber YACHT

Aufgewachsen in Süddeutschland, hat Jochen Rieker das Segeln auf Bodensee, Ammersee und Starnberger See gelernt. Zunächst war er auf Pirat, H-Jolle und Tempest unterwegs, später auf Hobie Cat, A Cat und Dart 16. Aber wie das so ist: Je weiter entfernt das Meer, desto größer die Leidenschaft danach. Inspiriert durch die Bücher von Bobby Schenk und Wilfried Erdmann, folgte in den 90ern der erste Dickschifftörn im Ionischen Meer auf einer Carter 30, damals noch ohne Segelschein. Danach war’s um ihn geschehen. Als YACHT-Kaleu und Jury-Vorsitzender des European Yacht of the Year Award hat Rieker in den vergangenen mehr als 25 Jahren gut 500 Boote getestet. Sein eigenes, ein 36-Fuß-Racer/Cruiser, lag zuletzt in der Adria. Diesen Sommer verholt er es an die Schlei, wo er inzwischen lebt.

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