Overview
All sessions will be recorded and available for viewing until July 15, 2025.
Doing well in a long-distance race such as the Bayview Mack or Chicago Mac demands teamwork, endurance, and a routing strategy based on an accurate weather forecast. Developing a competitive strategy requires an understanding of basic weather forecasting principles, a familiarity with weather resources, and a working knowledge of modern routing software. This three-part webinar series is designed for sailors who are relatively new to long-distance racing or experienced competitors who would like to refresh their skills before the season begins.
Seminar Topics
- Finding & Interpreting Weather Maps
- Weather Forecast Model Basics
- Wind Forecasting
- Forecasting Thunderstorms
- Doppler Weather Radar Basics
- Getting Weather Data
- Measuring Forecast Model Accuracy
- Weather Routing Essentials
Please send questions regarding the webinar to Mark Thornton at Mark@LakeErieWX.com. Please click here to view the speaker's resume.
About The Presenter
Mark Thornton has sailed for more than 30 years and currently owns Osprey, a Mainship 34 Pilot. His interest in weather forecasting grew from his experiences cruising and racing on the Great Lakes. Mark is a 2006 graduate of the Penn State University Certificate of Achievement in Weather Forecasting, a two-year program that develops skills in general, tropical, and severe weather forecasting.
He is the president of LakeErieWX LLC, a company dedicated to providing marine weather education and forecasting resources for recreational boaters (www.lakeeriewx.com). Mark publishes a marine weather blog and teaches basic forecasting seminars to recreational boaters during the off-season. He has served as the Race Meteorologist for the Bayview Mackinac Race since 2014. Mark is also on the faculty of Annapolis Boat Shows - Cruiser University.
