Trade Wind Route

Definition

Sailing routes have long exploited the trade winds, which blow from the north-east in the northern hemisphere and the south-east in the southern, roughly between five and thirty degrees of latitude. The traditional Atlantic passage runs from the Canaries or Cape Verdes south-westwards until the trades are firmly established, typically near twenty degrees North, before turning west for the Caribbean. The route is far longer than the great circle but faster under sail.