On the occasion of the Route du Rhum, meteorologist Louis Bodin looks back at the early days of weather routing in the 1990s and its progress.
Louis Bodin, 68, is now known to the general public as the weather presenter on RTL and TF1. But before that, he was one of the first specialists in weather routing for offshore racing trimarans in the Atlantic. In the 1990s, this discipline was still in its infancy, and sailors were learning to trust these new analyses.
It was in this context that he advised Florence Arthaud during her victory in the Route du Rhum in 1990. At the time, tools were rudimentary and methods were being developed through successive races. Forecasters were feeling their way, facing the challenge of guiding isolated skippers in the middle of the ocean with data far less precise than today’s.
Since then, meteorological science has evolved considerably. Numerical models, satellite observations, and computing power have transformed routing into a much more precise practice. Louis Bodin has followed this transformation, moving from advising racers to serving the general public, while maintaining an expert’s eye on offshore racing.
In his testimony, he revisits this pioneering period and reveals what he considers his most impressive weather feat. A way to measure the distance traveled, from the first experiments to the ultra-sophisticated forecasts that today guide trimarans across the Atlantic.
It was in this context that he advised Florence Arthaud during her victory in the Route du Rhum in 1990. At the time, tools were rudimentary and methods were being developed through successive races. Forecasters were feeling their way, facing the challenge of guiding isolated skippers in the middle of the ocean with data far less precise than today’s.
Since then, meteorological science has evolved considerably. Numerical models, satellite observations, and computing power have transformed routing into a much more precise practice. Louis Bodin has followed this transformation, moving from advising racers to serving the general public, while maintaining an expert’s eye on offshore racing.
In his testimony, he revisits this pioneering period and reveals what he considers his most impressive weather feat. A way to measure the distance traveled, from the first experiments to the ultra-sophisticated forecasts that today guide trimarans across the Atlantic.
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Source: Ouest-France