Online University course: wind Shifts, Seeing Wind in a New Way

Marine Weather University’s (MWU) cutting-edge classes have been enjoyed by thousands of students. Veteran meteorologist, Chris Bedford and 2x America's Cup winning navigator Peter Isler have teamed up to provide a university-level weather education. MWU’s curriculum features over 25 different classes – all online so students can learn at their own pace. 

About  Wind Shifts 201: As anyone who has been on a boat knows, there is no such thing as a "steady wind" - it's constantly moving - changing in speed and direction. In this MWU Advanced Class, Chris Bedford takes us "behind the scenes" to understand why the wind changes. Employing technology used by America’s Cup level teams, the class will reveal an entirely new way to think about the wind. This course will provide sailors with knowledge and tools that will help them predict changes in the wind that can make the difference on the race course and when sailing to a destination.

This two-part course will address these questions:

What are wind shifts?
What causes those shifts (and puffs and lulls)?
Can weather models predict wind shifts?
How can these shifts be characterized?
Why is it important to understand the character of the wind?
Should I go left or right to get to my destination fastest?
How do America's Cup teams gain by assessing the wind?
Chris has developed this two-session course and will be teaching it with the support of Peter.  At the conclusion of the second session's live lecture, students will have an opportunity to ask their weather-related questions. 

All of MWU’s courses are online for 24/7 on demand access. Wind Shifts 201 will first be presented as live webinars before upload into the university. Enrollment to these live classes is limited, so early registration is recommended for those that want to attend the live lectures.  Attendance in the live webinars is not required - the lecture recordings and all class materials will be made available in Marine Weather University's online classroom which is always open.