Clarity courtesy of Chris Bedford

Can’t tell you how nice it is when someone who you know is really busy still takes the time to help. That was the case in Issue 2337, when we emailed Chris Bedford, team meteorologist for BMW Oracle Racing, for some info on the Valencia winds.

We had been getting loads of event reports, but must admit we were still not sure which way the wind blew. That’s one of the problems being from California. All we know is that the sea is to the west, the wind always comes from the west, and if you play your cards right, you will always live west of Interstate 5. Start talking about winds from other directions and we get a bit lost.

Thanks to Chris, who promptly responded to three of our emails yesterday between 7-8 pm (Valencia time), we now know that in Valencia, the sea is to the east, and on good days, that is where the wind is coming from. Opposite of California, which is one of the few places in the US - probably with the exception of Hawaii - where there are decent, steady winds for most of the year. Maybe that is why the weather in Valencia is so messed up.