Gust or Brezze

I find Xcweather very good. Then compare with the Met office.

Enjoy the boat it is a great boat. Also look at the Phantom Class Association forum for any tips or questions you might have.

Considering the wind, it is also easier to go out in a building breeze. So if the forecast is say 8 knots building to 15 give it ago. But if it is a full on 15-18 straight in it might be a bit intimidating until you get more used to it.

Windguru is another good website www.windguru.cz - you can choose between miles per hour and knots in the options.
Being heavy like us you'll find light wind (below about 7 mph) an absolute pain so try to pick days with about 8-15 mph windspeed and gusts of very little more - it's the difference between wind speed and gust speed that causes problems - more difference, more problems.
On flat water you can watch gusts coming across - try standing on shore on a windy day and watching the water surface for practice and see just where those gusts are going and how they bend with the shape of the lake.
Also for starters go out when there is a safety boat on duty and others to help you. Once you get going a bit, join the racing as having to sail a specific course is much better training than just going where you fancy and also everyone knows where you are headed so you aren't just a randomly moving obstruction to racing.

Edited by patj - 01 Aug 15 at 7:15am

If you are sailing from a sailing club, check to see if it has an anemometer that should give you a rough idea of the wind strength. A good one will record gust strength too. You can also buy a hand-held one for around £15 (Google it) but again probably not v accurate.

Wind finder is quite a good tool since it gives wind speed and gusts forecasts.  This gives you an idea as to how stable the wind forecast is.