Sailbjörn

10th at Europeans after first day

Sailbjorn — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:39:19 +0000

The European Championship is on the way. Today we had two races in 6-8 knots of wind. In the first race the pin end was clearly favored, and I managed to get a rather good start a few boats up from the pin. Having good pressure and a clear line i continued out on the left side. When the knock came a made a tack with the hole fleet in my sail window. Easy I thought to myself, the wind however started to shift together wind the sailors on the far right side getting some pressure giving me a rough path up to the first mark.

Great focus and by staying calm I managed to do the best of the situation and managed to advance in the fleet gaining a few boats on every leg crossing the finish line as 25^th.

Second race I choose to start a few boats away from the committee vessel and after hundred meter tack over to port and head for the right side of the course. With several sailors going hard for the right side a good opportunity opened up for playing the shifts in the middle. Around the upwind mark I was fourth and on the downwind I was able to seize the front position and round the downwind mark with a 10 boat lengths lead over Rafa Trujillo from Spain. The second upwind was patchy and was more or less a game between me and Rafa how could play the shifts best, around the top mark I was still in front position, but with an early gust Rafa caught up to me and it was a close fight all the last downwind to the finish were, the former World Champion beat me to cross the finish line.

Second place was for me great and I felt real satisfied with the race. 13 sailors’ received a yellow flag the this first race day and now needs to be more careful. Looking forward to tomorrows racing

Take-off Scarlino

Sailbjorn — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:13:59 +0000

Been at home for a few weeks, practice winter-sailing, working-out at the gym and beeing real ill. Now Im up in the air using the WiFi on the flight (great!) and have high motivation to jump back into my Finn.

On the 19th the European Championship starts and until then it will be training, bikeing (in lovely tuscany and the upcoming weekend a regatta down in Scarlino. Great chance to pratice my starts and to improve the “race-mode”

Stay classy
/Björn

2nd at Cannes Olympic Week

Sailbjorn — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:43:41 +0000

Cannes, first stop on this years racing calander. Welcome to swedish summer, with sunshine and heat, we did however have some issues on finding wind during the first three days. Leaving us with only 4 conducted races on three days, all made in light and shifty conditions which really put the sailors to a challenge.

On the last day of racing the wind was a bit happier (10-12 knots) and in the second and last race the O flag was hoisted, declearing free pumping the last day became a match between me and my training partner Florian Raudaschl (5th overall). This day he was the better man scoring two bullets, and I two seconds.

In the second picture A grumpy Florian borrows my trophy …;p

Snow sailing

Sailbjorn — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:40:11 +0000

Ok, I leave sweden to be able to sail and hopefully get some degrees warmer weather. The two first days of training was cold but ok, today we had a lot of snow and had to wait until the afternoon to go sailing.

Once on the water it was great! Real fun to be back in the finn again

Takeoff sailing season 2012

Sailbjorn — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:46:31 +0000

Sitting at the airport, takeoff in 30 minutes. Destination Salzburg, Austria, a perfect place for sailing this time of the year… Well maybe not. Will have one day at the Doyle Raudaschl sailloft, before Florian Raudaschl and I head down to Hyeres for sailing tomorrow morning.

The plan is to focus on partly matchrace, to get up to speed with boathandling and partly long downwinds, after a 58 days break since World Championship.

It will be greeeeeeat!

Takeoff, destination Perth

Sailbjorn — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 06:29:49 +0000

Time to leave Sweden for slightly warmer Australia. Preparing for the upcoming World Championship in beginning of december.

Will be lovely to once again visit Perth, Fremantle, that served us last winter with absolutly fantastic sailingcondition. Last year I finished 8th at the Pre Worlds, and I hope to be able to find the same feeling this time

See you

Video and pictures from Lake Garda

Sailbjorn — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:51:42 +0000

Training camp at Lake Garda

Sailbjorn — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:53:50 +0000

The second training camp down at Lake Garda is now to an end. This time we had just the conditions we were hoping for and expecting – windy.

We put effort in improving our starts, by various exercises, some of them probably looked slightly strange, but improved the feeling for finding the starting line. We also put quite some time on trying and evaluation the new Doyle/Raudaschl sails we have developed for all round condition and more specific for Perth. The speed in the big breeze leaves little to ask for.

I feel ready for the Fremantle Doctor, the famous see breeze we all will experience when we in two weeks time go down to Australia, preparing for the Worlds in the beginning of December.

4th at Italian Championship

Sailbjorn — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:56:24 +0000

The Italian Championship in the Finn Class gathered not less then 12 nations, all down at Lake Garda preparing for the upcoming Worlds down in Australia in December.

It felt real good to be competing again, last regatta was in July. Some times the best practice is competing. During three days we were challenged by various conditions and early start 08:00. On the last day we reached the harbour at 10:15 after completing two races – real efficient!

Training camp in Garda

Sailbjorn — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:16:25 +0000

Now down in Garda, Italy for two weeks of training and racing. On the trip down one started to wonder if one had made the right decision leaving sweden. The reason, in Austria their was snow… Once we reached Garda, the snow was however long gone and the temperature reached 25 degrees celsius.

During the two weeks down here I will compete in the Italian Championship and The Europe Cup in Malcesine. With no regattas for the last two months, it will be nice being back competing.