Hey Guys!
Well Challenger 1 has been acting more like a rocket lately than a glider. Today alone we have gone just over 28 km, hitting speeds up to 1.4km/hr! However on the last segment we did slow down a bit as we began fighting the currents slightly as they shifted from south to west. A possible way point change may be helpful in better harnessing these currents and use them to our advantage.
It will be important to use these currents as best we can over the next few days, as they will only be around for a short while longer. Looking at the jet stream forecast for the next few days, it looks like a storm system will be rolling in by Sunday and wrecking havoc until at least next wednesday (thats as far as the forecast goes and it doesn’t look good).
metcheck.com's forecast for Sunday when the winds begin fighting us
Sunday, the winds are forecasted to shift against us and in the days following we will most likely be hit with the red-orange system as it curls to the North. So what we want to do is set a few way points over the next couple days to try and maneuver through these currents as they shift with the power of the jet stream.
Antonio also provided us with crucial Sea Surface Height data showing we have a number of cold core eddies (ponds) surrounding a warm core eddy (hill) that are in our path. We think the best course of action is to follow these eddies around and try and shoot ourselves as far south as we can by using the alternating currents caused by the cold and warm eddies (cold eddies spin counter clockwise while warm spin clockwise).
Antonio's SSH image for July, 6
Nilsen & Oliver