Test Week in Egypt

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In Egypt, testing and tuning. If you want to follow us and read more about NP andLoft.

The type of sailing that Daniel and myself perform here is not the regular ins and outs or relaxed blasting on slalom boards. We are on big sails, 9,5 and 8,6 on 65 wide, 105 litre speed boards with fins around 25-32 cm.

When the sails not are 100% tuned, when they are brand new from the boxes, it is hard to downhaul them properly. With 2 cm less downhaul the rigs are heavy and the load on the fin the same. Especially upwind that makes a big difference. Only the stiffer slalom fins manages that well. Off wind it is different, the slalom fins creates drag and do not release as a thin speedier fin.

Here is a video from our week:

Obsessed with fins?

BPF with some protos

If you are one of my followers on Facebook, you might have noticed some photo posting about fins. Some wonder why one person has so many fins. Are they for sale?

Well since you are reading this blog, you are aware that the fins are maybe the individually most important part of the whole set of speed equipment you own.

Tuning the boards with the ultimate fins for every type of water is the key. Sometimes I get questions what fins are the best. And the absolutely truth is that all fins need to be individually trimmed to each board to each water and wind direction, current and water level.

C3 and a new proto

Hurricane with some protos

By now I can with emphasis say that I master the water in Weymouth (England), Torkelstorp (Sweden), Orth (Germany) and Karpathos (Greece). They all are different and needs different set-ups. Therefore it is important for myself (considering myself as a world wide speed windsurfer) to have the right fins for the right spots. My recommendations are to buy the full line of fins from one or two fin-makers and then top with selections from others.

Custom Lessacher with protos

To know what fin-brand/model that should be your basic backbone; you need to test different fins and set-ups yourself. Maybe it is a good idea to team up with your friends and share fins from a few different brands first. 

Some fins might work for your friend and will not work for you on the same board and spot, depending on how much pressure you have on the back foot, mast position, sail trim etc.

I am soon off for Egypt. The mission was to test new straight fins for some new boards. Unfortunately the boards are not ready yet, but the SP63 will work well as a testing platform for some of the new fins. Straight and weeds.

(It is very much about fine tuning. A board with a big speed ratio like SP63 (27-37 knots) are harder to trim right than a slalom board with a wider tail and a narrower ratio. The stiffness and torsion has to be perfect for the board and water conditions. Therefore it is useful to try very similar fins like C3 Sting vs Sting II, Black Project R vs RS, Tectonics T43 vs Talon vs F1 and so on.)

Tectonics and protos

Top up with some selected fins

Tenson + Anders BQ = true

My first goodie bag!

Some years ago I was on my way to Rip Curl´s office for a factory sell out. But I did not have the address and ended up in another office where it also was a sell-out, I found what turned out to become my favourite jacket. A big, blue technical jacket in size XXXL. It is the perfect rigging coat. Ever since that day I always have used it when it is windy, cold and rainy. I have bought a lot of other clothes from the same brand the last years.

Happy cover boy

In the beginning of 2013 the local newspaper had a review of all medallists from different championships during 2012, and I was on the cover.

Off course in my favourite jacket. Tenson saw it; they turned out to have their HQ almost where I live, and offered me a sponsorship. Tenson is unique; it is the only true Swedish beach wear.

Tenson - anno 1968

They made boardshorts in the sixties, when only a few knew what surfing was about, inspired by American lifestyle magazines. I am very happy and I will wear the Tenson gear with pride. With this partnership I hope to influence the Tenson designers to make even more bold and functional wear for real life addicted windsurfers like you and me.

Here is the link to Tenson´s presentation of me and about speed windsurfing.

The final solutions for cold hands?

When I heard about this product, I just ordered one straight away. I mean, this might be the solution to one of the biggest problems we have here in Sweden. (At least from my perspective). From October to April we are freezing when we windsurf. When I started with winter-windsurfing in 1983 I bought a Gul Steamer, ever since then the body never gets cold, with all good suits that have followed (remember Sola Titanium!!). And when Atan launch their winter boots, any cold feet don’t bother me. And there are some good hoods on the market. But the hands are still a problem. Dakine Cold Water Mittens are not bad. But in below 5 C, I freeze. And open palms mittens. Just forget them from December-March. So it was a no-brainer to get this suit innovated by this guy Iain in UK (according to the name, Ianovated).

First impression:

Big. Roomy. Soft. Long legs. Cold?

Yes, I have some other suits to refer to...

I always have XXL or 56 on wetsuits, even if I am only 183 cm tall. The main reason is that arms and chest else are too tight. This suit are more constructed as a diving suit on the upper body. That means it has space. I went out in -2C for a 30-minute walk. With nothing else than shorts under, the suit was not hot, almost a bit chilly. But with the polypro lycra it felt OK, both in temperature and space.  About the softness, it seems similar to my Neil Pryde Elite. Good you think. Well, not necessary. That means that it could be fragile. The suit I got is a Smooth-skin (size Large), not double lined. I hope it is better than the NP´s...

OK, now tested in IRL. 3 hours in air temp 3 C and 1 C in the water. A LOT of floating ice. With Pro Limit mittens the thumbs where cold. With DaKine with open palms, no problem with any fingers.
The suit was balanced well in temperature. And not any water came into the suit. I believe all winter surfers (also kite) will buy this or a similar suit within a few years. A lot of copies will follow for sure.
http://www.gps-speedsurfing.com/default.aspx?mnu=user&val=113600&uid=2558

Lessacher Fins, crazy weed fins but works IRL

Rick Hanke brought us back to school ...

A  Tekkno Lessacher Chamaleon 

When I attended the German Speed Championship in 2011, they had a very interesting seminar about fin-theory, hosted by Maui Ultra Fins and their designer Rick Hanke. No doubt that he knew what he was talking about. I am myself an engineer and I had some flashbacks from the 4 years I spent in school with my calculator, formulas and tables ... I reckon he had a PhD in aerodynamics and he really put his delta-fin innovation to the sky. Theoretically the best speed fin in the universe so far. But he was clear about an other German fin-maker, "Wolfgang Leassacher, his fins are disasters, with concaves on both sides.  Do not work at all."

Wolfgang in action

On the parking lot on the outside Wolfgang took a nap at the same time. But as most of us know theory and practice do not match well in windsurfing.

Since I started with speed, I have loved the Chamäleon. I must have had more than 50. When you lose the grip with it, it only slides in a very controlled way sideways, like a sportscar.
I said to Wolfgang that I love them, but I have problem with the 28cm in combo with 8,6m2 or bigger. Wolfgang replied, “hey when I designed that fin 20 years ago the biggest sail was 7,8. You must test my new ones now.“ 

Some of my black beauties.

At German event 2012 he delivered a handful of new fins. But I never test any new products for the first time in an important event. (It was one of the European Speed Tour events). And the following 6 weeks, it was all major events in the Swedish and England. But in the closing weeks of 2012 I had some opportunities to use Wolfgang’snew shapes. The sizes were not perfect matches to my board range, but they are absolutely top notch. No other makes can match that grip in the same size, and the speed was about on par with the best. I also used the Duo Speed Weed 32 on my CA SL78 and it worked very well (but I really need a deeper fin with more lift to that board). It is great that we have guys like Wolfgang that have the guts to do things different. Now I also have the right sizes, looking forward for the test session in Egypt soon!


PS Read more about my over 300 fins collection here and here and here

Windsurfer Winter depression?

While the numbers are falling on the thermometer and the darkness is pulling a black coat over the northern hemisphere many windsurfers including myself is mentally preparing for hibernating. The depression is almost impossible to avoid. As you probably know all windsurfers are junkies. We need the adrenaline and endorphins that the planing is creating. The first month is the worst. You Google on trips to Egypt, Cape Verde etc., but do you have the time to go, is it OK at work and the family, can you afford it?

I do not say that I have the solution. But at least I have something that could stretch the time before the last windsurfing day is through this year.

Before the snow and ice comes, it is usually pretty windy. It has to do with the differences in temperature in the north (like Svalbard) and the south (like Spain).

And the last weekend November was an occasion like that. Lots of wind in France, Holland, UK, Sweden etc. I was out sailing for a few hours in the drizzling rain in 25 knots of wind and really enjoyed myself. I said to one of the guys at the beach afterwards, ”I did not even freeze at all”. When I started the car the temp was +3 Celsius. With wind-chill effect that would have been very cold.

How did I manage so well (my gear between ( ) but probably there are lot of other brands that are equal).

1.     Preparing and rigging in warm clothes and gloves

2.     Warm 6mm winter suit with integrated hood.
(Simmer Steamer 6/5/4)

3.     Polypro rash (Quiksilver)

4.     2 mm neoprene shorts (NeilPryde) (I wish I had some better polypro, but have not found any

5.     7 mm boots (Atan)

6.     Gloves with heating pads (Dakine CWM with Tiki Heatpads on top of the fingers)

7.     Camelback with +45 C energy drink (Platypus winter)

8.     When ashore I jump into an survival suit (Fladen)

9.     Warm car with diesel-heater (Volvo XC70)