Likely wind Majorca-Corsica in June

[npf1]

Can anyone help with some weather knowledge to help me consider a Majorca-Corsica sailing trip in early June? So likelyhood of Mistrals, directions of mistrals, prevailing wind force and direction, number of windless days etc.

Thanks in advance.

 

[duncan99210]

Done the Mallorca To Sardinia run twice now (and Sardinia to Mallorca once). Most of the wind seems to come from the north west (tremontana) or north east (mistral). When those winds are blowing, I'd prefer to be tucked up somewhere quiet as they typically blow at about f7-8. They can last for a couple of days or set in for a week plus. At times, you'll get weeks of almost no wind followed by one or the other (sometimes both) kicking off for a few days. Then again, it can often blow almost continuously for weeks at a time.
The first crossing we made was in early July and was made when it suits our timetable and was done in light to no winds. The return trip was made in a single long hop from Cagliari to Mallorca because we'd had to spend time sitting out the worst of the winds and was exciting coming round the tip of Sardinia in f6-7 northerlies but we soon lost all the wind and motored the rest of the way.
Our final return trip eastwards was made in a gap in the winds in early May. Once again on a timetable, we sat for a week or so on Pollenca before grabbing a weather window which lasted about four days before another mistral arrived. Ideally we'd have liked to wait a few more days before leaving Mallorca but had to grab the window between the winds.
So, no accurate data about frequencies but our experience suggests you have to watch the forecasts closely and grab the opportunity when it arises.
We use an iPad app called Pocket Grib for our forecasts. It looks up to 8 days in advance and has proved to be reasonably accurate overall. What it doesn't do is to consider localised conditions such as the way winds curl round headlands but for passage planning it does its job.
Hope that helps and have a great time.

 

[npf1]

great. Thanks

 

[Twister_Ken]

Did Mallorca-Cannes in June 2015. Wind mostly light NE (ie dead on the nose). When it wasn't light NE it was mostly F0, F1 or F2 from just about anywhere, but never enough to sail with at passage making speeds. Also, there were electrical storms about. Dunno if that's typical though.

 

[Wansworth]

The Romans and others really rowed about a lot in the Med,

 

[macd]

Check out the 'relevant pdf under 'world pilot charts' on passage weather: http://www.passageweather.com/
(It's well worth saving these for long-distance passage planning.)

Unfortunately there's no wind rose directly over the OP's passage, but extrapolating from neighbouring roses he can expect perhaps 10 days of calms per month, with the predominant (just) and strongest winds being in the quadrant between W and N. This W-to-N bias is common in much of the Med but is mostly quite slight. It is generally not pronounced enough to base an actual passage-plan on: for that you need actual forecasts.

I've done similar passages several times in both directions, and enjoyed good sailing winds on most of them. For that you need either a chunk of luck, or the time and patience to await good conditions.

 

[Roberto]

Can anyone help with some weather knowledge to help me consider a Majorca-Corsica sailing trip in early June? So likelyhood of Mistrals, directions of mistrals, prevailing wind force and direction, number of windless days etc.

Thanks in advance.

these are wind roses around that area, they are averages over a shorter period but data is more detailed than the usual pilot charts

there are others here:

http://numbat.coas.oregonstate.edu/cogow/0601/56_btm_left.html

 

[npf1]

Thanks for all the replies