Blue water: New pilot charts by Jimmy Cornell

Detailed wind and current charts, known as pilot charts, are indispensable for long-distance sailors planning their routes around the world. Jimmy Cornell who himself travelled the world's oceans for decades, who founded the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers over 30 years ago and who until recently organised his own sailing rallies across the Atlantic, has now published a completely revised and updated second edition of his "Atlas of the Oceans" together with his son Ivan.

The large-format, almost 140-page compendium contains 80 wind and current maps, broken down by month, for all the world's oceans. They show wind speeds and directions, current speeds and directions, the approximate location of the inland tropical convergence zone, the most frequent paths of tropical storms and the approximate location of the high pressure areas in each hemisphere.

In addition, 60 detailed charts of the most frequently sailed ocean routes make it easier to plan a trip depending on the best weather conditions - supplemented by tactical tips for the respective main sailing months. These tips, as well as further explanations and general weather overviews for each ocean, come from meteorologists and other experts who specialise in the respective sea areas.

The new edition also includes monthly wind charts for the most common ocean routes for the first time. They show the wind forces and directions on selected routes at a glance. Cornell: "This makes planning on certain routes much easier, as the wind conditions are shown in an easy-to-read graphic along the entire route."

The first edition of the "Atlas of the Oceans", published in 2012, was based on satellite records from the previous 20 years (1991 to 2011). The second edition, which has now been completely revised and updated, also includes meteorological data from the last five years (2011 to 2016). This means that the total data material used now covers 25 years and thus reflects all changes in the recent past.

"Cornell's Atlas of the Oceans", published by Cornell Sailing Ltd, ISBN: 978-1-9997229-2-0, format: 420 x 297 mm, spiral binding, 136 pages, multicoloured, 79 euros. Order via mail to buecher@cornellsailing.com or via Amazon.

Anyone who wants to secure a copy with a personalised dedication has the opportunity to do so until Sunday at boot in Düsseldorf. Cornell will be selling and signing his books at the Garcia Yachting stand (Hall 16, D 42).