Wind Rose
ADRIATIC WINDS
In the past, wind was perceived as a blessing, a benign force which carried seamen towards great discoveries in time when sailors ruled the seas and oceans. Today, yachtsmen and sailors, as the last guardians of the wind, ride the waves in search of adventure and the challenges of nature.
The winds of the Adriatic originate from the differences of temperature of the land and sea and due to differences in air pressure. Air circulation and changes from warm to cold air create pleasant winds that continuously fill the sails with their force. These are the 'Burin' and 'Maestral' winds. The correct transition of the daytime Maestral and the night-time Burin is a sign of stable weather that will last. Abrupt changes of air-pressure announce stronger winds that are worth avoiding by sailing to one of the numerous sheltered bays and harbours.
The arrival of a particular wind, whether good or bad, can be recognised by experienced sailors by the clouds and the sunsets. A clear sky and a sunset of strong, lively colours are the sign of good weather to come.
A pale and blurry sunset announces a worsening of the weather. Small fluffy clouds above the island hills signify a Maestral and therefore pleasant sailing weather.
A cloudy covering above the peak of the inland mountains announces the arrival of a Bura, the wind which leaves the sailors time to prepare for its strong blows and which therefore requires much caution.
The favourite predictors of the weather for many seamen are the dolphins. Although initially providing an amazing sight for sailors, their presence often precedes a worsening of the weather which arrives a few days later. The direction from which the dolphins are swimming is where one can expect the bad weather to arrive from.
Every wind has its own characteristics and a good knowledge can help us to predict whether the wind will strengthen, cease or announce the arrival of another wind. By naming the winds, sailors of the Adriatic closely connected themselves with their force and charaterisitcs which had such a great influence on the life of local people.
Adriatic wind rose is made of 8 main winds whose major direction of blowing is on one of the eight basic sides of the world.
BURA
Bura is the most significant wind on the Adriatic. The name comes from Greek word boreas which means north, hill; the wind that blows from the hill...
It comes most often from the northeast, that is from the NNE, NE or ENE directions.
It is an unpredictable wind blowing from the mainland towards the sea in gushes and it is both cold and dry. The gushes of wind can be accompanied by rumbling and exchange with calm or weak wind in periods of one or more minutes.
The waves that are created by the bura are short and move away quickly from the mainland, while their broken tops are transformed into white sea foam. Strong gushes can temporarily lift drops of water into the air creating a "sea dust".
On the open sea, the bura often changes into the northwestern wind.
If you are sailing during the bura, excitement will abound because it is a great challenge that requires caution with regards to the preparation of both boat and crew. Along with avoiding sailing close to windy coastlines, prepare yourself for possible maneuvering and arm yourself with patience, since you will probably have to change the combination of sails several times.
If sailing along the coast of an island that is facing the mainland you run into a zone without vegetation, this is a sign that a strong bura blows there.
Experienced Dalmatian seamen have a proverb:
'The Bura says: 'When I am sailing, don't you sail!'.
In Dalmatia people have measured bura which blows even faster than 200 km per hour. Strong bura can blow any time during the year, but strongest in winter from November to March. Sailing in small sailboats is recommended to top notch yachtsmen only. Do not forget to put safety first.
The summer bura appears mostly in the northern Adriatic in the area where the mountains are narrowest. The coming of the bura can be recognized by the cloud cap that covers the top of Velebit Mountain or Biokovo Mountain before the beginning of the wind.
It cleans and clears up the atmosphere, therefore visibility after the bura wind is excellent and the weather is sunny and clear.
JUGO
Jugo is a south-western warm wind of moderate force that blows from the sea towards the coast blowing in the ESE, SE or SSE directions. It is present along the length of the coast in all seasons, on north Adriatic mostly in the spring and on south in the autumn and winter.
Jugo does not blow often during the summer. When it does, the wind blows with a gradual increase without interruptions, creating very beautiful, long and equal waves without noise and foam.
Its constant strength and wind direction are its greatest challenge that allows the sailboat to achieve great speed and dynamic sailing.
Only when a strong jugo blows do the waves pound against the shoreline, retreating towards the open sea with a rumble. Jugo starts as a week wind which progessivly gets stronger. On the sea it can create waves up to 10 m high.
It belongs to the group of spring-fall winds that brings warmth and is accompanied with high moisture, cloudy weather, rain and sometimes thunder.
MAESTRAL
Maestral is a typical Adriatic summer wind blowing from the north-west as a result of temperature difference between the warmer land and the colder sea, bringing nice and stable weather. After the morning calm, almost always around noon during summer begins its pleasant circulation, reaching it’s peak around five o’clock and ending before the sunset. Maestral offers a welcome cooling effect from the sea, bringing cleaner and healthier air. It is very refreshing in the summer.
The wind is relaxing and provides ideal and pleasant sailing because its force is constant and its nature is predictable. You can enjoy in the sea without any maneuvering worries.
Maestral can be unpleasently strong only in tight canals between the islands facing northwest where it can also make high waves. Areas where this stronger wind is most common are the Zadar channel and Korcula channel in Dalmatia.
TRAMUNTANA is a north cooling wind that announces pleasant and nice weather.
GREGO is a strong northeast wind that brings cold but dry and sunny weather.
LEVANT is eastern wind that brings cloudy and rainy weather.
OŠTRO is southern warm and damp wind.
LEBIĆ is southwest, dry and warm wind that blows on the Adriatic after the Jugo, levelling the waves in shallow harbours.
