Yachting World - July 2018

31

‘the second half of

the journey can be

lively downwind or

back to beating’

hould you sail to the Azores

(generally Horta) or go the

longer route via Bermuda?

There are pros and cons to each.

Weather systems spinning off the

US East Coast bring lows and frontal

systems that can extend well south, and

at some point a yacht making the west-

to-east crossing will be overtaken by at

least one front, possibly more. So the

aim is to catch and ride favourable winds

for as far as possible, and most boats

head for the Azores to make a stop there

and then pick their timing to head across

to Spain or Portugal or up to the UK.

Tortola in the British Virgin Islands or

St Maarten are the most popular starting

points – they are well positioned and

good for provisioning, spares, chandlery

and repairs. But many crews make an

intermediate stop in Bermuda and this

is a particularly good option if the wind

patterns change three to four days out

from the Caribbean. In Bermuda, crews

can take a break, re-provision, enjoy

the island, and wait for a good weather

springboard for the next leg.

According to Jimmy Cornell, author

of World Cruising Routes, as early as

March and as late as mid-May there

are reasonable chances of favourable

south-easterly and south-westerly

winds on leaving the Eastern Caribbean.

The advice he offers is to track north-

easterly towards the Azores and stay

south of 30°N until 40°W.

For decades, the late Herb Hilgenberg

provided free weather services to

eastbound yachtsmen, and when I

interviewed him a few years ago he also

advised an even more cautious route:

“I advocate the southerly route to the

Azores,” he said, “and recommend that

boats head east and stay south of 35°N

until I see that nothing significant is

developing. “You can stay at 32-33°N

until a few days out from the Azores and

then head north. I would not go north of

the area north of 35°N or west of 45°W

until June.”

Low pressure systems tend to lie

further south earlier in the season and if

you head north you would typically end

up north of the Azores in headwinds. As

summer approaches the lows tend to

move further north and the Azores High

expands so that you get lighter winds as

you make your way towards the Azores.

For cruisers a southerly route is

generally preferable, staying south of

the Gulf Stream in lighter winds and

taking on extra fuel and motoring if

necessary (see page 32).

AZORES

Horta

BERMUDA

BVI ST MAARTEN

ANTIGUA

Tortola

CANARYISLANDS

CAPE VERDEISLANDS

MADEIRA

NewYork

AF

RICA

USA

EU

RO

PE

Caribbean

Sea

60°W

4

20°W

40°N

30°N

40°N

30°N

20°N

Tropic of Cancer

Gulf stream

Jimmy Cornell’s advice

Track north-easterly towards

the Azores and stay south of

30°N until 40°W direct from

Caribbean

3

2

1

Northern route — 1,740 miles

Middle route — 1,690 miles

Southern route — 1,680 miles

Direct from Caribbean — 2,240 miles

3

4

2

A 1

tl

an

ti

c^

O c

ea

n

4

x

x

Herb Hilgenberg’s advice

Not north of 35°N or

west of 45° W until June

Which way across?

Plus there is the undoubted satisfaction of knowing that
you are closing the circle of your Atlantic circuit by your
own efforts and skills.

Ready for the return
“We look at the west-east transatlantic as very different
from the ARC or indeed any of the other ocean trips we do
because it can be largely upwind and has potential for
heavy weather,” says Dan Bower.
“It is guaranteed that the fi rst week is full on, close-
hauled in the tradewinds, and life at 20-30° in a big ocean
swell puts more demands on the boat and crew.
“Then depending on the position of the Azores High,
after the lull in the middle, the second half of the journey
can be lively downwind or back to beating.”
Given this, you’ll need to think from the outset about
your upwind and stronger wind sails, and your yacht
preparations for the route across to Europe. So when you
consider the outlay for an expensive downwind sail
inventory, for example new spinnaker or Parasailor, don’t
forget the good condition mainsail with perhaps a fourth
reef and the strong staysail that will be just as
invaluable on the way back.
Preparing your boat for everything from fl at calms

A return voyage from the

Caribbean to northern

latitudes can be testing for

boats and crew

i

Bermuda is often a staging post for a

northerly west-east Atlantic crossing

Horta, a popular transatlantic stop-off

in the Azores

S

Tor Johnson

John Gaff

en/Alamy

Alamy