ERIK BEALE – LUDERITZ 2015 SPEED TEAM REPORT
LUDERITZ SPEED SAILING CHALLENGE 2015 WEEK 5 AND 6 REPORT
Event Diary by Erik Beale
NOV 2-9TH 2015.
It’s the first week of Luderitz for me and it was all about the first, epic day, with Antoine Albeau gave a Masterclass in speedsailing smashing his world record five times, setting a new windsurfing speed World Record of 53.27 knots.
Farrel O’Shea smashed the British national record and joins the 50-knot club with 51.20 knots.
DAY OF DAYS
After the first wave returned home, Farrel and I are the only 2 Loft riders for the last 2 weeks of the event.
The wind was already established at 30 knots at 11 a.m., just prior to the Skippers’ Meeting.
It was shaping up to be a really good day, however, the wind came up so fast, it caught the newcomers off guard, by midday gusting 50-60 knots.
I’d rigged a 5.6 first, which was already too big when the course opened. By the time I’d re-rigged and done a couple of runs on my 4.9, that was too big also …
SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES
By then it was crazy strong. Martyn Ogier (GBR) got launched into the leeward bank at full tilt, right in front of me.
He lay motionless for a very long time and I feared the worst.
Luckily he was soon off to the hospital and they re-set his dislocated shoulder. But it was very sobering …
I decided to wait till later on, for a little less wind pressure, but then it faded as fast as it had come in. Tough first day on the canal.
A couple of days later I had lunch with Martyn, who was happy to be alive – but sad not to be able to sail anymore.
Medical condition: re-set dislocated shoulder, 3 broken ribs.
His GPS recorded 51 knots right before hitting the leeward bank.
SLIP SLIDING AWAY
He described drifting across the canal from the windward bank.
Nothing he could do about it … Both Antoine Albeau and Farrel O’Shea have reported the same phenomenon above 50 knots.
Though they were luckier. This may be accounted for by cloud or sheet cavitation of the low-pressure side of the fin.
They describe loosing lateral grip or side force, but not directional stability, the board is still pointed down the canal but slips sideways.
NOV 7TH SOLO LIGHT-WIND SAILING
Nov. 8th 45.90 peak yesterday, couple of knots off of the big boys max …
WEEK 6 – NOV 9-15TH
Nov 9th. Second day of what is shaping up to be a very windy week, speeds in the 41-46 knot range yesterday.
Was using 10 kg. of lead, will try more today. Always a balance between getting more righting moment (power) and increasing the difficulty of getting planing.
WSSRC rules state that you need to float with the extra ballast.
That’s why some of us look like the Michelin man!
46.26 yesterday. Had the fastest time early, then guys started going faster. Bjorn [Dunkerbeck] ended up at 48.50, so still a couple of knots off of the big guys, but I was fastest of the 80 kg. people.
I was fastest of the 80 kg. people.
Tried 12 kg. of lead was better with more consistent times. Must have done six 45-knot + runs and two at 46+.
Today I will try 2 kg. more, but important to get the distribution right.
Umpteen little tuning details to try out. Boom up 2 cm., mast track forward 1 cm. Fins 18 / 18.5 / 19 cm.
The feeling of accelerating around the corner is unreal – over 3 knots per sec., so I go into the corner and 5 sec. later 15 knots faster.
Key to fast times here is the corner exit speed as the start camera is only 50 m. after it.
NOV 11TH – TWO NEW PBS!
Broke my personal best twice today, with 5 runs over 47 knots – top speed of 50.5 knots!
50.53 knots right on the finish line, then oversheet, airbrake with the sail, shit 40 cm. chop in the finish box and still doing 46 knots straight downwind, full back foot pressure using the chop to brake onto, still doing 30 knots and running out of water, cutback upwind, sometimes make it sometimes a big splash.
Scramble to get the hell out of there before the next looney comes barreling down.
NOV 14TH – NEW PERSONAL BEST 49.74 KNOTS.
Was over 50 knots for 11 sec. of the 20-sec. run. Top speed of 51.68 knots.
My acceleration going around the corner into the start has improved to 4 knots per sec. Now in the 5 sec. I used to take to go 20 to 35 knots, I do 20 to 40.
This results in an entry speed of nearly 49 knots instead of 45 knots at the beginning of the week.
Broke my personal best 5 times in this event so far.
To set times in big dog country I need to enter the run at 50 – 51 knots – this is Antoine / Patrik territory.
Just 2 knots more and that would yield times in the 52-53 knot range …
It requires massive explosive power to handle the kick of acceleration in the corner.
That’s where their extra 20 kg. of mass and muscle come into play.
NOV 15TH – LAST DAY OF THE EVENT
The wind is weird. There’s power for sure as it’s gusting to 35 knots.
But it’s unstable, you get 200 m. of good wind, then nothing.
It shuts off then shifts and gusts again.
My speeds are in the 46s.
Amazing how quickly one’s perception of ‘fast’ changes – what was my best speed one week ago now feels pedestrian, frustrating. We live to improve and go faster. Anything less drives us nuts.
I do one more run at coasting speed as an offering to the Gods of Speed, thanks for our safe passage, for the amazing wind and really fast water.
BACK TO NATURE
The next week the bulldozers backfill the canal. The desert will reclaim it’s dominion and the speed canal will live on only in our dreams.
10 months from now, a new canal will be dug, incorporating some subtle changes that should open up the possibilities of speeds up to 5 knots faster: Start box lengthened 10 m = two seconds more acceleration.
Canal angle change of 5 deg. to the east, will result in more sailable days and better acceleration down the full length of the canal.
Finish box lengthened to 70 m. = more room to slow down.
In the meantime, we will dream up new sails, boards and fins, dream of the desert, dream of the next time we will go barreling down the canal, us lucky few … EB