Synoptic chart for the 3571-mile Transpac Tahiti race

The Tahiti Race is 3,570 miles.  After the start, and rounding West End, you put up the spinnaker, and run for several days Southwest past Mexico. Then the Easterly Trades build and you beam reach in lot of wind for a few days. Then a tactical challenge : You have to find the narrowest area of the ITCZ (Doldrums), where there will be little or no wind and lots of rain squalls. Once you cross the Equator the Southeast Trades will fill in, and it can be a very windy, rough beam reach to close reach to the finish in Papeete.