"Steve Firth" wrote in message
.. .
Simon Brooke wrote:

and the turn
in the weather and wind direction happened within a few minutes.

That's not uncommon, but when it happens you will see it coming if you
know what you're looking for. Large chunks of atmosphere moving around
fast have tremendous momentum - if they didn't they wouldn't be
dangerous -
and the effects of that are visible.

The boatyard owner was worried as he too had been caught out and
it was even discussed later that evening in the restaurant we
attended. No-one, I repeat *no-one* could have predicted what
happened more than a few minutes beforehand.

I don't believe you.

Me neither. Like most of us, I've sailed a little in Greece. Yes there
are freaky winds, there are even scary freaky winds in the parts of the
Adriatic that I live by. However they do not appear without warning,
ever.

Then I can only propose you spend some time on the Croatian side of your bit
of water - I've been sailing my yacht there for over 20 years and the Bora
is a wind to respect. It *often* arrives without warning, although sometimes
there are maritime reports that conditions are such that one could be
expected; not always correct. It hits like a sledgehammer and in ten minutes
can be storm force. I've been at anchor and been suddenly well heeled over
from mast windage alone, until the boat settles downwind to the anchor. The
conditions that produce this NNE wind are probably associated with the steep
coastal mountains. For some details see:
http://www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/sappor.../015776-1.html
An extract: ".. the bora speed maxima may surpass 60 m/s. Thus, bora is one
of the severest local winds in the world." And I repeat, contrary to your
claim, it often does "appear without warning," Last summer was so stable
that in three months of cruising I did not experience this formidable wind
at all, the first time for many years.

BrianH