The first half of the year is already well behind us. It’s time to take stock and share our vision for the future. The Blue Ocean Strategy delivered solid results, but I’m convinced we can and must do better.
Publication date: August 6, 2026 · Category: Traders’ Insights · by Martinus van Dolder
The first few months of this year went as expected. After that, the system moved mostly sideways, with the occasional spike. The question we must ask ourselves is simple: is this good enough? After all, the return is still slightly below the target return of 2 to 5 percent per month.
Is this good enough?
On the cost side, this system has a clear advantage: there are no subscription fees. We charge only a profit fee based on the High Water Mark principle. For comparison, I’ve previously calculated the approximate costs of following all Systems2follow systems, and you quickly arrive at 4 to 7 percent of the required capital—sometimes even slightly more.
Still, I’ll draw an honest conclusion: measured against the benchmark—the effective yield on bonds—we’re currently underperforming. I don’t subscribe to the idea that focusing primarily on risk is what matters most and that returns will naturally follow. Return and risk are generally positively correlated, and we must take costs and inflation into account. If the final return remains too low, you might as well invest in bonds, since they at least provide a guaranteed return. We therefore believe we need to do better.
What’s changing: from intraday to a higher timeframe
And this system can indeed be improved. To do so, trading must be conducted on a higher timeframe. I’ve been working on this intensively over the past few months: backtesting the current setups on a higher timeframe, using half-day timeframes instead of primarily intraday ones. At its core, the system remains virtually unchanged, but a backtest is necessary because different nuances apply on each timeframe.
I expect that the profit factor—the ratio of total profits to total losses—will improve significantly as a result, potentially increasing by a factor of four. That makes sense, since we’ll be capitalizing on longer trends. Furthermore, when there’s a clear trend, we’ll go overnight again. Based on everything I’ve seen over the past few years, that’s not where the major risk lies. The overnight margin currently stands at approximately 4,500 euros.
The downside: a higher average loss
This approach has an unavoidable drawback. The average loss on a losing trade is higher—about 300 euros for one of the setups. This system trades multiple setups and can go both long and short. Therefore, you should expect a maximum drawdown of about 20 percent. Important to realize: these kinds of results are also achieved on very short-term charts, but in that case, the profit factor is actually much lower. Calculate your profit.
Why a higher timeframe: less slippage
The main advantage of this longer timeframe compared to the current, shorter timeframe is that slippage becomes more manageable. Slippage occurs in several ways: due to the spread between the bid and ask prices, the difference between the time of the trading signal and the actual market price obtained, human errors by the trader, and technical issues—such as orders that weren’t processed on our end this month. On a higher timeframe, these factors have less of an impact. The system performs particularly well in trending markets, but that should be clear by now.
What’s the next step?
Would you like to know how the Blue Ocean Strategy works and whether this system is a good fit for your situation? Then check out the Blue Ocean Strategy system page or schedule a no-obligation consultation. I trust that I have provided you with sufficient information.
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