S1D New Team Member! PredictWind Provides Essential Tools for Competitive Sailors

Sail1Design is thrilled to partner with PredictWind, an incredibly rich, accurate, and I feel essential tool for competitive sailors. I used PredictWind recently while coaching, and found the data to be absolutely invaluable. This is precision stuff with ease of use to boot. Welcome aboard PredictWind! Apparently, their data just got even better (see below):

PredictWind has made significant improvements to their weather models. 10 years of development has culminated in the release of the most accurate iteration of the PWG & PWE forecast model to date. This means that the PredictWind models now give you more forecast confidence than ever before, making your time on the water safer and more enjoyable.

To validate the improvement, we undertook an intensive verification study using real time data from 77 weather stations around the globe. For each station 1 month of one hour interval readings were compared to the forecasts based on the new PredictWind model versus the existing model. The results of the study show on average a 12% improvement using the new PredictWind model for wind speed, and a 7% improvement in Wind Direction.

Check out the updated forecast model at forecast.predictwind.com

12 New Features of the Updated Model

Please see the technical evaluation report to learn more.

1. Improved, more efficient model code developed over the last 10 years
2. New radiation code
3. 50% more vertical levels in the model
4. Non-hydrostatic code
5. Smaller time step of the model
6. More accurate topographical and land-water mask data is now used
7. Updated and more detailed land-use and soil type
8. More sophisticated boundary-layer mixing scheme
9. High resolution observed Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data used over water
10. Initial analyses are now interpolated to each grid
11. Global 50km grid forecast now used to drive the 8km domains
12. Improved model settings for treatment of Tropical Cyclones on the 50km global grid

In addition 15 times more computing power is used to produce the forecasts with this updated model. The 1km resolution forecasts are now released 30 minutes earlier. In addition 15 times more computing power is used to produce the forecasts with this updated model. The 1km resolution forecasts are now released 30 minutes earlier.In addition 15 times more computing power is used to produce the forecasts with this updated model. The 1km resolution forecasts are now released 30 minutes earlier.