Velero Regina · video

What this video covers

The crew departs Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera, heading toward Los Gigantes on the northwest coast of Tenerife to position for a 56-mile passage to La Palma.1:05 Forecasts predicted 14 to 15 knots of wind in the channel between the islands, but the vessel encounters sustained winds of 35 knots with gusts reaching 40 knots.8:34 To manage the conditions, the crew reefs the mainsail twice and furls the genoa, eventually deploying the staysail and tensioning the windward backstay to maintain a speed of 7 knots through 3-meter seas.12:13 The wind acceleration zone near the eastern point of La Gomera significantly exceeds weather model predictions, which underestimated both wind speed and sea state.14:28 After clearing the high-wind corridor, the crew reaches the anchorage at Los Gigantes.13:34 The experience highlights the unreliability of standard wind forecasts in the acceleration zones around the Canary Islands, necessitating aggressive reefing and preparation for heavy weather regardless of predicted conditions.

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