After 27 years of windsurfing, the time has come - I'm drifting off. Like a beginner, I swim around in an offshore wind, waterstart, catapult, waterstart, yip, curse. Not in a storm of the century or a day with giant waves somewhere on a lonely South African break, but here, a stone's throw downwind of the Großenbrode breakwater. A small crowd has formed on the beach and a little snot spoon is already pointing his finger at me. If I carry on like this, someone will actually type 124 124 into the phone, the number of the sea rescue service. My plan to go speed surfing sounds like a lousy joke...
Neuland & coffee cream
A few days earlier, the world looked different. Germany was bombarded by a series of spring storms and when Hurricane Niklas formed on the weather charts, it seemed like the time had come to try something new. Speed surfing! A discipline that I had never tried before and which seems to be becoming more and more of a trend in view of various well-attended events and regatta formats such as the Speed Kini in Bavaria or the German Speed King. After all, as a surf editor you should be open to everything.
The search for a sparring partner quickly led me to slalom ace Vincent Langer:
"Hey Vinc, Hack is coming next week. Shall we go speeeeeeeden? Dress warmly, this will be your first defeat of 2015!!! My GPS only switches on at speeds above 40 knots, haha.
Greetings! Manueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel
p.s. I only drink coffee cream to gain weight.
p.p.s. Can you lend me some material?"
Ten minutes later, I've arranged a date with the master and have big goals in mind. Firstly, to surf 40 knots and secondly, to show the Langer where the Barthel is at!
When I saw the forecast on the morning of day X, I felt a little queasy: 40 knots from the west-north-west. Actually, 3.5-metre sails and a 75-litre waveboard would have been my first choice, but instead Vincent announced that he had organised two 6.3-metre racing sails, a 54-litre speedboard with a width of 44 centimetres and a small slalom board. I treated myself to an extra ladle of pasta and packed my things.
We couldn't help but laugh when we saw the speedboard. The thing seemed so narrow that my 48-series pedals would probably drag in the water on both sides. We rigged up in the drizzle, the big storm was still a little while away and it was blowing "moderately" at 30 to 35 knots. Another big gulp from the bottle and two tofu sausages squeezed in and the fun could begin...
Surfboard or water ski?
I had thought about all sorts of things before the event - how I would get the necessary extra kilos on my ribs (excreting the pasta mountain and water bottle), which harness rope length I should choose (long, with 34 inches for better control) and, of course, what words of comfort I would say to Vincent after I had pulverised his top speed ("Vinc, it'll be DWC soon, there'll be worse opponents again"). How I was supposed to launch and planing on a 54-litre board when it was braking a metre underwater while a 6.3 was pulling at the top was obviously not part of my thoughts. And here I am splashing around. It takes another few minutes before I get on the board and bring collective relief to the disaster tourists on the beach. The game is repeated further out on the first gybe and the idea of adjusting the harness lines as usual during the ride turns out to be a bad idea.
After a run, I'm panting like after three hours of wave action and adjust my trimmed set-up: Harness line back, boom down, water bottle out. And get the GPS ready to go.
"Pull tight, you rag!"
We swap boards. I can't help but laugh as I relax and pull up to the groyne on the 62-centimetre-wide slalom board, while Vincent pokes around downwind under the surface of the water on the speed board and tries to glide on. After a few minutes, he manages it and we go on our first run together. As we drop three metres downwind of the jetty and sheet in, the adrenaline rushes through our faces.
We shoot along on mirror-smooth water and I pray that Vincent has his 6.3 under control and won't smash me when he tries to overtake me upwind. I tell myself that the fact that he immediately takes 30 metres off me and surfs two knots faster is surely only because he is riding the even narrower speedboard. "Pull tight, you rag", I think, tighten every last muscle fibre and push my backside out a little more.
After a braking distance like a full ICE, a glance at the GPS brings two certainties. Firstly: this run was 71.49 km/h, which is 38.60 knots and therefore 1.40 knots less than my minimum target and a "wafer-thin" 10.22 knots below the expected German record of 48.82 knots. That's still manageable! Certainty number two: the homemade "waterproof" mobile phone bag is leaking and my smartphone, pimped with a GPS app, is as deep in the water as I was on the speedboard a few minutes ago. Attempts to dry it out and fully seal it with tape fail, the thing is in heaven...
Undercover records
The wind continues to pick up and after a few runs, things start to get fun - the upwind blow through the choppy waves is like a rodeo ride, especially with the fidgety speedboard, but as soon as you hit the smooth water behind the pier and drop onto a deep space wind course, you're in a frenzy: every muscle tensed, big cheeks, fixed gaze. "I've actually always laughed at speed surfers," admits Vincent between two runs. "But nailing it here at what feels like 100 km/h is really addictive!"
There's only one thing that really frustrates us: not knowing how fast we actually are. We're both sure that we've gone one better than at the beginning. We've probably broken the record long ago and can't prove it...
After another hour, it's time to call it a day, our arms are long, the wind has finally turned, and Hurricane Niklas has also arrived in the north. As we dismantle, we search in vain for corners sheltered from the wind where we can put down a four-kilo speedboard without everything flying away. It certainly wasn't the last time we went speeding, because you don't actually need much: normal slalom equipment, a spot with reasonably smooth water and, not to be underestimated, a waterproof GPS. After all, you might have to go for a swim.
Trimming tips for maximum speed when windsurfing
You can also get a lot out of normal freeride or slalom material if you tweak the right screws a little.
Loose Leech
The largest possible sail remains controllable for longer with a lot of downhaul rope tension. As a result, the leech relaxes and can turn away to leeward.
Boom down
A low boom ensures better control and therefore more speed.
Base plate further forward
At the limit, the tendency of the board to rise uncontrollably ("wheelie") decreases if you screw the base plate slightly forward of the centre.
Bulbous sail
The only thing that counts is speed upwind and that is higher with less outhaul tension. The price: control problems when going upwind
Small fin
Have you found the right fin size for "normal" cruising on all courses? Then fit a 2-4 centimetre smaller one for maximum space wind speed.
Butt out
Longer harness lines allow you to push your centre of gravity further out and keep it tight for longer.
Small foot straps
Adjust the loops so that only the toes are sticking out. Slipping around is not an option!
This article first appeared in surf 6/2015
