Glossary · Weather & oceans
Anticyclone
Also called: high, haute pression, anticyclone des Açores, Azores High, anticyclone de Sainte-Hélène, St Helena High
An area of high pressure with light wind at its centre; boats sail around it.
At the centre of a high, wind is light or absent. Racers go around it via its edges, where wind is steadier, even if it lengthens the route. The Azores High in the North Atlantic and the St Helena High in the South Atlantic are two key features of transatlantic races and round-the-world races.
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No source yet · updated 30 Sept 2026