Janne Magnusson and Noel Barkelius made it to the podium in Sjælland Rundt this weekend! A result, which came out of many late evenings of work in the sail loft. The project which Magnusson and Barkelius took to finish second is a Seascape 27. Both work with Elvstrøm Sails, too. Janne Magnusson is an Elvstrøm Sails dealer in Limhamn, and Noel Barkelius works as a sailmaker for Elvstrøm Sails Stockholm.
The Seascape 27 was thoroughly optimized - not only for one race, but for top performance in a wider range of races. The entire wardrobe has been up for revision, and the result is a great and highly performing platform for shorthanded operation. The long-term goal is of course to do the singlehanded race Silverrudder, but going shorthanded at Sjælland Rundt proved to be a great test with lots of lessons learned.
- We aimed for more power in lighter wind conditions and better speed on the open reaches - all of this while combining it with easy, shorthanded handling, Janne Magnusson says.
Noel Barkelius and Janne Magnusson after crossing the finish line. In his daily life, Noel works as a sailmaker for Elvström Sails in Stockholm, and Janne is the Elvström Sails dealer in Limhamn.
New design choices
The final design resulted in a new mainsail plus a modern Code Zero design. Rather than having a traditional and deeper shaped code, the duo opted for a flatter design, which works in a wider range of conditions, Noel adds:
- We wanted to create a sail that covers more wind angles and is easier to handle in an offshore race, where you often must make a quick decision. Here, it really makes sense to be able to operate quickly.
The 27 itself is a modern boat for shorthanded racing - everything was from the word go designed around racing with one or two persons onboard, and it is used widely in many shorthanded races around Europe. Its combination of quick acceleration and planing under the right conditions is a big strenght of it - but it needs the correct sail designs to make the most of it. And this was - in essence - the starting point of the whole operation.
A design, which also proved itself:
- There was one point in testing, where we only had four knots of wind and rough seas at once. We hardly moved using the jib, but as soon as we furled out the code, it picked up speed and we were beating boats that were clearly bigger. The race itself began with reaching and gennaker sailing through Øresund before the wind died outside Copenhagen. The following hours with very light wind was a challenge, but then the wind gradually came back, Janne says and adds:
- In reality, we had one big goal which was to measure our performance against the other Seascape 27's. We knew we would have strong competition. And as we made it to the other side of the island, the conditions turned out to be just what we prepared for. At Storebæltsbroen, it was up to 17-23 knots, and the following leg towards Sjællands Odde produced an average speed of 10.6 knots over the 50 miles of distance.
And making it all play together as one was also an important part, Noel says:
- What impressed me the most was how effectively we could switch between sails. We were always able to pick and use what was best for the time - without dropping speed or rythm. This was great!
Calmness, methodology, and boat speed
But the success wasn’t just about the sails.
Both Janne and Noel highlight the teamwork on board as one of the most critical factors behind the result.
- It was very calm the entire time. No raised voices, no rushed decisions. We were constantly talking about what would happen next and focusing on the next maneuver, says Noel.
During the toughest hours, constant concentration was required. Several competitors broached or were forced to back off the pace as fatigue began to set in.
- I think a lot of people got very worn out. That’s where we benefited from being able to share the steering duties and keep our energy levels up the whole time, says Janne.
A second-place finish – and validation
When the boat finally crossed the finish line in second place, there was both joy and a sense that there was even more potential to unlock.
- The initial feeling was actually that it was a bummer we didn’t beat the other Seascape. But once everything settled, it was just a really great sail, Janne says with a laugh.
For Elvstrøm Sails, the result was also validation that the development work started during the winter worked exactly as planned.
- The most important thing might not be the placement itself. The most important thing is that we got confirmation that the sail concept works. We saw that the boat became faster, more efficient, and easier to handle. That is exactly what you want to achieve when developing a sail wardrobe, says Noel.
Now, eyes are turning toward the autumn's big goal – Silverrudder.
And after the performance in Sjælland Rundt, there is good reason to believe that the Swedish Seascape 27 Vera will be right up there at the front of the pack there too.