ONBOARD CARD 06 - Gulf Stream Exit

Phase: Approaching and crossing the south wall of the Gulf Stream Typical elapsed time: Race start +36–55h

UNFAMILIAR BOAT NOTES - READ THIS FIRST

This crew is racing Lupo Di Mare together for the first time. The following protocols are adjusted for that reality.

1. Stay in the Stream sail until conditions confirm you are clear Do not initiate a sail change during the south wall transition itself. The Stream exit zone produces confused wave states and wind shifts. Wait until water temperature confirms you are out and the wave state has settled - 20–30 nm into Sargasso water - before any complex peel or headsail change.

2. Decision quality is degraded at hour 40+ By the time you reach the south wall, the crew is 40–50 hours into the race on an unfamiliar boat with limited sleep. Delegate all tactical decisions to the navigator and skipper. Exhausted crew should not be making routing calls - their job is to execute, not deliberate.

3. Warm-core eddy routing requires the navigator and charts - not a cockpit conversation The WCE decision is a navigator task that takes 20–30 minutes to execute properly with pre-loaded SST and altimetry. Do not make this call by feel or rushed discussion. Get the navigator on it, give them time, and wait for the answer.

4. First major post-Stream maneuver: all hands, no rush The first significant sail change after Stream exit is an all-hands evolution. Do not rush it. Brief the crew before starting, assign every job explicitly, and execute in settled conditions.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

Exit the Stream at the planned latitude, confirm the post-Stream wind and current picture matches the strategy, and transition cleanly to the Sargasso Sea leg.

DATA TO CHECK

At south wall approach: - Water temperature: watch for a sharp drop (Gulf Stream SST 79–86°F; Sargasso Sea 75–79°F post-wall) - GPS/log current vector: current should be diminishing as you exit the core - Wind: is the post-Stream wind matching the pre-race forecast? - Are you exiting at the planned latitude, or has the Stream set you east/west?

At confirmed exit: - Record: exit latitude, exit UTC time, peak current observed, SST at exit - Compare to pre-race plan: was the crossing faster/slower/different than planned? - Now: what does the post-Stream routing plan say? Execute it.

POST-STREAM TRANSITION

The exit is often where boats lose track. The race is NOT over at the south wall.

Check immediately: - Is there a warm-core eddy between your current position and Bermuda? (pre-loaded plan) - What is the wind angle for the Sargasso leg - reaching, running, or upwind? - What sail does this demand?

TRIM / SAIL IMPLICATIONS

Post-Stream, winds often shift slightly or lighten. Common transitions: - SW reaching in the Stream → lighter SE or E fetch to Bermuda - NW running in the Stream → NW or W reaching to Bermuda (can be fast) - Post-frontal NW → may stay consistent through to Bermuda

Typical post-Stream sail choices: | Conditions | Sail | |------------|------| | 10–18 kts reaching | A2-1 / Code 65 | | 8–14 kts light reaching | Code 65 / A1-1 | | 18–25 kts reaching | A3 / J3 | | Upwind to Bermuda | J1 or J3 |

RED FLAGS

Water temperature drops then RISES again: you may be passing through the south wall and into a warm-core eddy - check GPS/log current immediately
Post-Stream wind is 30° different from forecast: update the routing picture; call navigator
Crew severely fatigued after the Stream: simplify the sail plan for the next 12h

DECISION THRESHOLD

Meander exit check (if T-ME was the pre-race strategy): If the pre-race plan included riding a Stream meander for favorable NE current: 1. Confirm your current position vs the pre-planned exit latitude (from the T-1 brief) 2. Calculate VMG to Bermuda from your current position - is it deteriorating? 3. If heading to Bermuda has changed by >15° from your pre-planned bearing → exit now 4. If you are significantly east of rhumb and Bermuda is now upwind → exit now 5. The temptation to "stay in the current a little longer" is how boats lose the final 100 nm Reference: 2024 race - boats that stayed in the meander too long were set east and finished upwind to Bermuda.

Warm Core Eddy check (mandatory at exit): Using the pre-loaded SST and altimetry analysis, confirm your exit latitude relative to any identified warm-core eddy. If you are heading toward the adverse (western or southern) limb of a WCE: adjust heading now, not later. Every hour in adverse eddy current costs 1–2 nm effective loss.

WHO GETS WOKEN UP

Navigator: at South wall confirmation
Skipper: if warm core eddy routing change is needed

PRE-RACE RESEARCH - NOT race-period routing advice