Localsailing interview with Patrik Diethelm

After reading the race reports of the 25th Lancelin Ocean Classic long distance race down under, I thought it was time to ask some questions about Patrik Diethelm's his own new boards.

Patrik became second in the Race and made me curious about the trim, equipment combinations and strategy of long distance racing.

LS: Can you tell us more about the board , fin an sail combination you used during the Lancelin Ocean Classic?

PD: The weather forecast was light winds for the whole day so I used North Sails Warp 9.0 with Platinium 520 mast. The board I choose my biggest board “Patrik Slalom 135” (83cm wide) as normally in the middle of the race the wind is always dropping and it was too risky to take smaller equipment. As most of the race is downwind I choose a 42cm fin which I just tested 10 minutes before the race. The whole set up was just perfect but unfortunately the wind picked up a lot and I was very overpowered. I am really happy about my result and it definitely proofed that the equipment is easy to control.

LS: Tuning of Board fin combination.(what do you advise for surfers with your weight, etc.)

PD: It really depends on what kind of long distance it is and the board always depend on the wind strength. The fin needs to be small for downwind and for cross wind races like “Defi Wind” sure a bigger fin is better as you always need to push upwind.

LS: Also something specific about the rig / board combination, profile depth, mast foot position.

PD: For downwind races I tend to have a lot of downhaul (1cm more extension) and a lot of loose leach but I release the outhaul completely so the sail is touching the boom and it feels like a “Spinaker” - perfect for downwind. For a cross wind race I trim the sail on maximum downhaul but not more – rather a bit less (0.5mm on extension). Important is to have the sail wet before trim and always retune the sail after a couple runs as the material is stretching and the trim will change. The profile depth depends on the brand. As well the mastfoot position depends on the brand as the track on the board is not always at the same place.

LS: Your tips for long distance windsurfracing.

PD: There is only one tip: Even if you feel pain and cramps just hold on and push as hard as you can! Basicaly this tip is for all kind of races – hihihihi!!

LS: Thanks Patrick for the interview and we wish you all the best with your boardbrand for the future.

Photo's: Patrik Diethelm