Greetings from a High Speed Daddy

We soon is closing this year, and to all of you who pop into my site, Forever Speed and a Fast New Year. I made a little video to make the winter go a little faster here in Sweden.
If you have kids, you might also choose this song as the soundtrack of your life!

https://vimeo.com/82459154
High Speed Daddy.

Luderitz reflections


Loft Speedblade 5.6 2014 - a very beautiful creation!
The trip to Namibia was a true experience for sure. The mind-set was to go down there and participate and get home alive and not with too many damages. I was prepared for a few, but not to be a cripple when returning home. No 50 knot musts! I had prepared myself as well as I could and in equipment ( e.g. I brought 15 masts) I only missed an SDM-mast for the smallest sail, (which I did not use anyway). In general we had a great time. The international speed windsurfing scene is a very friendly community and has an open and positive mind-set.

With all participators we had many great moments around the canal, at the trailer back to the start, at the Nest Hotel breakfasts, in Diaz Coffee shop and at the dinners at various places. We, the Swedes did also a series of Web-TV (will be subtitled soon) and a few episodes with Patrick and Antoine.

About the sailing. I did only had one really powered up day. That day I felt a bit like a rookie and it was more about getting into the feeling of making the way through the canal, rather than trimming the equipment and catching the speeds. This was my first day ever with a smaller board (less than 44cm) in combo with a sail less than 6m2. (I am really only used to 8,6 and + 60 cm boards).
Getting rid of the ghosts and fear about crashes etc. The runs went better and better during the day. Started with 42 knots, 42,5, 42, 43,5 44 and 45,5 knots over 500m. Peak 47,7 knots or 88 km/h. 5 knots faster than I ever have sailed. It was super gusty and I had bad luck with the gusts, except of once, but I did not dare to sheet in that moment... I guess that was my chance to break 50. But I thought this was only the start for the next 3 weeks...

I listened to some advice from Anders Bringdal, to lower the boom quite a bit; it resulted in some better speeds but ended up in a HUGE catapult in the middle of the course in 45 knots.

The sailing challenge in Luderitz is to get on the board quickly in gusty low winds, be quick into the harness and straps and do the corner with good acceleration. I never managed to do that all well in the same run…

And the hardest part then was to find a stance and some wind down the 150-160 degrees course. Most runs I felt very underpowered with my 5,6 in about 30-35 knots wind. To stop was easy, since I am used to the Karpathos reef. I wished we had some more days with 35-45 knots wind to get used to the trim and stance.
I had brought 5 boards, 15 fins, 7 sails, 15 masts, but ended up only using 2 sail, 2 boards, 2 masts and 2 fins…

We all survived this year, and arrived home alive!
What I did not like was the level of the water in the canal, about 50 cm too low, the sailable width  was in some parts less than 2 m and very shallow.  To have a wall that is 2-3 m high on the leeward side did not feel good either, if a fin broke we would been mashed or nailed into the wall. And the almost empty so-called ambulance was something from a surplus sale from the mid eighties. I expected a modern, fully equipped ambulance with a team of paramedics…
When Sophie crashed it became obvious that the wall and the rescue-team was the weakest part. When she crashed we all did our best and I do hope she will recover very soon and will be back in business.

To wrap it all up. A true experience. We cannot do anything about he winds. I am satisfied with my runs during the given conditions. I might return back another year, if the event team could guarantee a full canal, no high walls and a trained rescue crew. And I also think it would be wise if maximum 15 riders participate the same time. To avoid waiting lines for 30-40 minutes. I belive if this event will come back, they have to make the setup different.
Cheers - Luderitz 2013 mission completed.


I would like to thank some people a bit extra that made this trip special; Patrick Diethelm who helped me with the SDM-masts and boom-adaptation and Anders Bringdal for your mental support and my traveling partner Daniel Borgelind. Jeroen and Brad who drove the trailer when the official timing was down.

I also am very thankful to all partners that supported me with ultra high quality equipment and services; Hertz, Tenson, Loft Sails, Carbon Art, Mistral, X-Booms, Gasoil-, Hurricane- and Black Project fins.

Luderitz from here

Now I am on site, so to say. There are many new impressions off course. Since we arrived when it not is so much wind, a lot of social activities happens instead. It has been great to meet all the guys and some girls again.

I post some pics and comments on my Facebook page if you would like to keep up, look at the bottom of this blog page.

Luderitz Booms

Jan Maixner with my handmade superlight X-booms with Streamline heads.
When it comes to simple things as booms. Especially short racing booms, anything will do, right? Well thats not what I think. I have many different makes, and well AL360 is alright. But not any boom in the world can be compared with an X-Boom. A kilo lighter, 200% stiffer, oval grip and the best; cork grip! And I can choose boom-head.
This year I have used X-Booms for the big sails like 8.6, 9.2 and 9.6, but now I also buying for the small sails. They are not inexpensive, but I get what I pay for. And they will probably last for very many years.

Luderitz boards 2013

Carbon Art SP4X
The last 2-3 months the designers, shapers and custom builders of windsurfing boards have been occupied. Small narrow blanks; 39-43 cm wide. Narrow but also a bit thinner than usual. Sandwich and high quality carbon...  Light. A lot of speculations about rocker lines, v-shapes, aerodynamic deck, assy set-ups etc etc.

When I got the question today - "Do you have any special made board for Luderitz in production" I answered "doesnt everybody has that?".

There are so much speculations about what to build. For me this is a big adventure and the proven constructions is my cup of tea. Off course also with some improvements. So I will bring a handful of boards with me. Stay tuned for more!

Reflections from Karpathos Speed 2013


Stopping and also checking the speed line

Time to conclude this years Karpathos speed event. It is the 5th year and my 11th week on the island. Karpathos proved once again to a very reliable place when you want offshore wind during fixed dates. I is not many places in the world with 7-9 Bft every day from the same angle and with no rolling sea etc. Also the service that we have with airport pick up, storage and rescue is unique.

This year we where less Swedes that participated, but instead more Dutch and Ukrainian sailors joined the event. We really had a great time together. If you want to know more about the event and how it turned out, you can read here Karpathosspeed.com

Some reflections about my own sailing

I have got a lot more used to the spot than the years before. This year my pulse almost never rose at all. And I did not find the place gusty on the upwind at all. It was extremely easy to sail every day. About 800km during 14 days in a row, with speeds around 38-42 knots everyday.

This year both Daniel and myself used our sessions to practice and trim for Luderitz. The difference compared to other years is that we used smaller boards, sails and assy fins. And I also did practice to stop from 39-40 knots on 25 metres many times.

The boards that I brought this year where Carbon Art SP44, SP48, SL55 and SP60. I do not want to write bad about any fin-brands, but on the good side I must say that I am surprised how well the Gasoil Assy fin worked both upwind and downwind on the SP44. I tried a lot to trim the new SP48 but struggled with the fins. Daniel had better flow with this board than I. Maybe a better fin and also the board size suited his weight better than for me. Hard to say, but I will try to find more carbon fins in sizes 26-28 with medium lift.

I am also surprised how well the SP60 worked as both slalom and speed board with 7.0 sail on flatter water in lighter winds. It went upwind better than a formula and I peaked the top speed at 39 knots in moderate wind. On the sail side we, all the Loft riders, preferred RDM on all sizes. I used mainly Racing Blade 6,3 2013, but also 7,0 and some runs with 5,6. The first two sails needed a lot of downhaul, and the 5,6 the opposite. This year I use less spacers and it seems to work well. The feeling in this year’s smaller rig are great.

SP44 and Loft 6,3 high wind trimmed
Maybe the whole combo has got a lot better year by year. Because neither Daniel nor myself had any problems with catapults or any serious spinouts. Balance is the word! I feel I am writing a lot of positive bullshit above, pushing my sponsors etc. Sorry if you feel that, what can I say more than that Daniel and Markus E where also very pleased with their sails from NP and Simmer!

Next year I will NOT bring the 7,8 rig and a lot of G10 fins will also be left home.
I made a little video from this year that explains why we keep on visiting the Island of Karpathos. It is the reliable offshore wind, but also the fantastic town Pigadia, the food and all the nice people we meet. The Greeks but also all others that are visiting the island every year.




from Karpathos with love from Anders BQ on Vimeo.

Karpathosspeed.com


By the way, for the moment I am enjoying myself in windy Karpathos. Read more at Karpathosspeed.com

MAST BUSTERS



Have you heard on the beach or read a forum thread, a story of a professional slalom rider, that had measured up all his masts and the difference of the mast in bending curve and characteristic was so huge that only a third of the mast where usable?

I believed a bit in that story and when I have read some Magazines test that also between the lines says something that support that, it could be some truth.

So the myth is that buying a 100% carbon mast is a lottery.

But the thing is that I never have felt any difference between masts from the same make with the same specs. I decided to make the test myself. Nine 490 masts and seven 460 from all together seven different production batches. A strap, a table and a fence, 15+10 kg water tanks.

Starting off with the long 490 masts. With 25 kg at the ferrule (the middle); not any difference at all, about +/- 1 mm. Except one masts that has been pre-bend (happens when the mast is in the sail for a week with some downhaul). But when turning it upside down, the same bending curve as the rest. The same results with the 460 masts. Then loading the tops with 15 kg. The same results. Not even the RDM gave different results, or 490 or 460 RDM. (Yes I have Loft 490 RDM!)

I kept on until I found one of my oldest masts, a 460 slightly a bit stiffer than the others.  But the difference was about 8 mm. I would say that it is not much enough to feel when sailing.

Conclusion. At least with the mast I use from Loft, it doesn’t matter which mast I take! 

Luderitz Speed Challenge Calling


The absolute speed experience in the entire world right now must be the event in Namibia created and hosted by Sebastien Cattelan and Sophie Routaboul. Almost all other major events like Speed:World:Cup and European Speed Championship are on hold. Off course we all want to be there this year. Here is the full list of all participators all 6 weeks.

And here I am: http://luderitz-speed.com/riders/anders-bjorkqvist




Finally all lines on my list are checked and booked.

-       v Invited to the elite weeks
-       v Payment for Elite weeks 4-5-6
-       v Hotel rooms for Daniel and myself
-       v Airline tickets to Cape Town
-      v  Confirmed extra baggage 200 kg
-      v  Rental bus 25 days from Hertz

Myself and Daniel Borgelind will share most things except rooms!
So now it is more about ordering the best asymmetric fins and build the optimal quiver. Some people ask about my goals at Lüderitz. My statement is as always, first time on a spot or event, just go, participate and enjoy.

I could compare it with the World Championship 2009 at Karpathos when I was new in the sport. I ended up 31:th but that was one of the most enjoying events in my life ever. Sailing with the ”big five” in Luderitz is more than enough!

Videos from last year:



Test Week in Egypt

Lägg till bildtext
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.

Read more about our week HERE http://egyptwindsurf.blogspot.se

Here is a video from our week: