The Offshore & Coastal Race Planning with PredictWind webinar was recorded on May 1st 2025.
Here is the link to the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dYX_4BuXpHI
This hands-on webinar shares Craig's notes on how to prepare for offshore and coastal races. This session will boost your confidence with practical tools and expert guidance. Craig explains his step-by-step approach to checking the 10-day weather outlook, weather routing, and using the Offshore App for real-time updates.
This webinar covers:
Long and short-range forecasts to plan ahead.
Review and interpret routing results (polars, summary tables, safety metrics like boat roll, slamming, and vertical acceleration).
Prepare your boat and crew based on the forecast.
AIS in the Offshore App, Over The Horizon AIS via the DataHub
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between the PredictWind App/ Website and the Offshore App?
There are multiple ways you can view a PredictWind forecast:
The PredictWind Website https://forecast.predictwind.com/ is used on your PC/ Mac using a web browser like Chrome or Safari. You need complete internet services to use this. It is location-based, i.e. you add your location, and we generate a forecast for that spot. This is our primary platform for subscription management, billing, and setting boat polars.
The PredictWind App is installed on your mobile device and is an online tool. It needs Wi-Fi or a cellular connection to view the forecast. It is location-based, i.e. you add your location, and we generate a forecast for that spot.
You can use the PredictWind Offshore App on PC, Mac, Apple or Android devices. It is an offline tool for downloading compressed GRIB file weather data and weather routing via an internet or cellular connection, at sea via satellite connections like the Iridium GO!, GO exec or Starlink. It stores files locally on the device to review offline.
2. What are Boat Polars, and how do I set them up?
Polars describe your boat speed and wind angle in any given weather situation. Setting the polars in your PredictWind account is essential for an accurate weather route. It is vital you set the polars in your account before using the weather routing and departure planning tool on any of the PredictWind platforms.
For detailed instructions on setting up boat polars, see the help article: How to Set Up Boat Polars - All Platforms.
3. How do I set up Wave Polars?
With PredictWind Weather Routing, you can set your Wave Polar not only to define the performance of your boat in various wave conditions but also to view the Roll, Vertical accelerations and Slamming Incidence that your boat will experience through the route. For detailed instructions on Wave Polars, please take a look at the help article: Weather Routing using Wave Polars.
4. What is a DataHub, and why do I need one?
The DataHub is your all-in-one solution for GPS tracking, data management, and communication. Whether you're offshore or inshore, it seamlessly handles your GPS tracking, data sharing, and communications. It can switch from satellite to cellular when needed, ensuring your tracking page stays current. Plus, it offers features like firewall protection, PredictMail, generating AI boat polars, accessing N2K data, and broadcasting GPS and AIS. There are no ongoing fees or contracts with the DataHub as it uses your existing Satellite or Cellular service, just the requirement of a Standard or Professional PredictWind forecast subscription for GPS tracking services. The AI Polar feature is a Professional-level feature.
5. What are PredictWind's model update times?
PredictWind offers multiple atmospheric, wave, ocean, tidal current and SST forecasts that update at varying times depending on when we receive the source data from the supplier. Details on the update times can be found here.
6. Can I get more information on AIS and Over the Horizon
PredictWind AIS Data displays real-time positions and movement of ships and yachts anywhere in the world, and is available on the PredictWind Website, PredictWind App and Offshore App. You can learn more about AIS here.
With PredictWinds Over the Horizon AIS (OHA), you can now view AIS data up to a range of 300 nautical miles directly into Chartplotters and Navigation Apps. You can learn more about OHA here.
7. Is there a technical study to show how PredictWind routing compares to other routing services?
The new PredictWind weather router has been compared with the weather routers of Adrena, Expedition, Fastseas, OpenCPN, Squid, and the original PredictWind router. Fifteen different courses were used. A Volvo 65 boat polar was used for four courses, TP52 for five, and First 40.7 for six. Currents and waves were not considered in these benchmarking test cases. GFS wind forecasts with 0.25 degree resolution and 14 days duration were used by all the routers (except Fastseas, which uses GFS 1 degree) for the comparisons. Comfort routing was not used. The detailed report can be reviewed here.
8. Why should I get a Professional Subscription to PredictWind?
The Professional package gives you access to the best data that PredictWind has to offer. The Professional level allows access to the following:
High-resolution forecast GRIB files (1km and 8km PWG/PWE, 9km ECMWF, 27km GFS, 14km SPIRE & 10km UKMO)
Ocean current GRIBs (Mercator and RTOFS)
Sea Surface Temperature (SST).
High-resolution tidal currents
Wave modelling of your boat (including Roll, Vertical accelerations and Slamming Incidence). Please learn more with this 1min video.
AIS data in the Offshore App, accessible via satellite when offshore. Please learn more with this 1min video.
AI Polar generation
Any weather route or departure plan calculation using either the Standard or Professional subscriptions will consider your choice of ocean current data and wave polars when calculating a route. However, only the Professional subscription will show you these details when viewing the results in the tables and along the routes.