How IMOS data powers an optimised race strategy.
As crews prepare to launch into one of the world’s most challenging ocean races, a group of oceanographers are also at work to help competitors optimise their route.
IMOS provides data that delivers crucial oceanographic insights, including information about currents along the race route.
Drawing on a national network of observing equipment, IMOS provides sea temperature, sea level and ocean current information along the race route. This data feeds global ocean circulation models, which are then used by Hobart-based marine technology company, Tidetech.
Tidetech, the leading supplier of oceanographic information to elite yacht racing teams, transforms this data into highly detailed tidal and coastal current models. For the Sydney to Hobart, they combine their own modelling with trusted third-party sources, including IMOS, ensuring competitors receive the most accurate, race-ready information available. The models are delivered in formats that integrate seamlessly with onboard navigation and routing software.
Real-time IMOS data, accessed through the IMOS OceanCurrent platform, is also used by Tidetech to validate and correct their forecasts. Their models track the powerful East Australian Current and its swirling eddies, which can dramatically shape the race by influencing wind patterns, wave behaviour and water temperatures.
Behind every tactical decision on the water lies a wealth of ocean intelligence, and IMOS data continues to be a key part of the story that plays out between Boxing Day in Sydney and the finish line in Hobart.