Strong winter storm
Forecast: 35 to 45 knots SW, 11 degrees and chance of rain.
So probably AHD with 3.7.
On arrival there were 3 men sailing and they all stopped, sets too big: easy choice, yes the AHD with the 3.7.

Banzai 3.7 with AHD and Select 22cm
Jumped on the board and was planing. Very hard gusts, back to the beach to increase the trim, again back and forth, even more trim. Boom bit lower. Harness lines longer.
I did everything to still have some control, to sail a little less tense. Board had control. Sail was big in the hard gusts, but in the end also controlable.
Waveriding was often not possible, I was happy to just be able to sail straight lines. The AHD is at 253cm quite long, you notice that in the hard gusts when you going upwind over the waves. Even that narrow nose still wants to lift the board out of the water. A shorter board is easier.
Jumped a few times, could jump either way. But also only in the wind holes.

I've been doubting about a new high-wind board for a while. Today it became clear that a shorter board can help.
It was tough, I sailed much too tensed in the beginning, so tired quickly. Gusts were extreme. With 4 men it was very quiet on the water.

Blokkendam

12:15 1.75 hour Wind: SW 31/45 kts
Board: AHD Power Wave 253 - Select Wave Warrior 22cm
Sail: Goya Banzai X Pro 3.7 - Goya Ninety Pro 370 - AL360 E3 Carbon 140-200
  Tough conditions. From first run very hard gusts. 3.7 about max trimmed and still sometimes only just doable. Kept making the harness lines longer and longer, that seemed to help.
Board had enough control. Sail too big. Almost always planing. Never really so little wind that the board sank. Jibing went well in the wind holes, usually the wind was too strong.