Here's an interesting tidbit. Yachts have gone down into the roaring
forties where clipper ships made incredible passages. They expected to make
good time and many have nearly run out of food and water. It turns out that
there are lows that sweep through at many times of the year with calms in
between. The clipper ships would hitch onto a low and, with their great
speed, ride it for long distances. The small yacht, unable to press on in
heavy conditions and limited by its waterline, just gets beat up, then
bounces around in the left over sea not making much progress, gets beat up
again, becalmed again, etc.

--

Roger Long



"akcarlos" wrote in message
oups.com...
New Zealand (where I live) is in the roaring forties but the wind is
often less than 30 knots and some days there is no wind at all (even in
wellington near the cook strait).