Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL HomeBoats Racing Through Tropical Aftermath

Boats Racing Through Tropical Aftermath

By Paul Drewes

(KHNL) - Some are tracking the tropical system Cosme to see if it will take the wind out of their sails.

As dozens of yachts race toward Hawaii, support crews for these boats sailing across the Pacific Ocean in the Transpac race keep a close eye on Cosme.

It has already had an impact on the race, as crews have had to chart their course around this tropical system.

"It was south of the course to Hawaii, by about a thousand miles, but it was forecast to head on a course that would intersect the boats course." says Roy Disney, a Transpac sailor, with two boats in the race.

Having a tropical system in the pacific is not necessarily a bad thing for Transpac racers, it just all depends on which side of the storm you find yourself.

Winds circulate counter clockwise around low pressure systems, like Cosme, so boats headed to Hawaii can get a push in the right direction if they are to the west of the storm. But winds to the east won't help get them to Hawaii any quicker. "The back side of systems like that is always a dead zone." adds Disney.

Support team members of the yacht "Morning Light" are not only tracking the storm, but they are also in contact with the ship.

"We talk to them every day, we send out an email and wait for them to let us know how things are going" says Transpac sailor, Graham Brant-Zawadzki.

And after a slow start to the race with light winds, the prospect of stronger winds is exciting to sailors. And stormy weather is just another aspect of the sea they have trained for.

"If its going to be real intense you batten down the hatches and try to ride it out, but if its something the boat can handle , you go for it." says Brant-Zawadzki.

73 boats started off the Transpac race and the first finishers are expected , this weekend, that is, weather permitting.