Weather forecasting in Bermuda is no easy task. "It's a dot on the ocean," Says Badham who is on his tenth America's Cup. "You rely on good computer models because there is no good data around you. Just the ocean."
Ironically in this hardest of venues for a meteorologist - even one with 40 years experience...the role has never been so important.
The team relies on the accuracy of the weather forecast to decide how the raceboat will be set up and there have never been so many permutations.
Badham: "It's so varied. We have more things that can tweak than any other team. I want a rule that there's only going to be one of everything . It's ridiculous!"
But the fact is the weather dictates what the choices should be, with the shore crew fitting a combination of foils, rudders and wings according to the expected wind speed;" They've almost got it down to the knot," groans Badham.
In his bid to be as accurate as possible he starts work at 0415 hrs and delivers his final update at 0730. That's to give the shore crew enough time to fit the right permutation to the boat before the 0900 deadline when the team must declare it's set up for the day.
Badham's final report to the team is delivered five to ten minutes before the start of their race and is based on his observations from a secret spot overlooking the Great Sound.
The easiest Cup venue for Badham has Fremantle in 1987: "It was the nicest sea breeze - well behaved, obeyed all the rules and was strong."
But the idea that you could set your clock to the so-called "Fremantle Doctor is a myth:" They say the Doctor blows every day. That's rubbish. Total rubbish."
The hardest venue - (until now)? "San Diego. It was difficult because there's a lot of very small little things that go on off the California coast. It was before the computer models and you had to work really hard to get it right."
Hard work has been the one constant in Badham's stellar career.
Small wonder his black beard is now grey.
