Monday 14th July  – Windsurf **** The Manor at Felixstowe –  sunny periods and warm.

Foil – 19.24  knot max, 17.12 knot ave., 12.84  knot hour, 15.59 knot mile, 39.33 km., 12.42 knot alpha.

Starboard Freeride 150 and a Evolution Freeride foil with a Tushingham Storm 6.5.

With a fresh breeze from the south forecast today and low tide in Felixstowe at 8.30 I was keen to try and get on the water fairly early so headed down to Squiz Lane at The Manor end about ten. The wind was wsw cross off making the sea really flat so I quickly set up the foil board and took a chance with my 6.5 and it was surprisingly warm, 25 degrees! By the time I had my shortie on the  the wind had eased but I decided to launch to check it out. Sadly it was very light and after a few floundering runs I landed for a bit. Then with some dark patches appearing I decided to try again, still slightly off but windy enough to get foiling and had some cracking long runs out to the right of the Wadegate Post where a tug had just helped a large container leave Felixstowe and was waiting for another one to come in! I think wsw is a tip direction at this end of Felixstowe, foiling over a super smooth sea is such fun:) The wind slowly turned south and I did one long broad 2.50 mile run out, with the tide getting high the sea picked up lumpy as the wind increased, I had one more run out to the post and decided to call it a day especially as my swollen finger was starting to ache! Packing up I headed for home to see how Mags morning had gone and caught her fast asleep on the settee in the back room, she had walk 2.5 miles! I was hoping to windsurf tomorrow but we had an email to say that a prize I won in a photo competition was taking ! So we have to drive round to Harwich in the morning for a trip around Felixstowe dock in a pilot boat, Mag is coming so should be good, with a good breeze blowing it could be interesting, lumpy I expect, we are looking forward to it, might even be able to pick up my new foil board from Colchester too! A old friend who had been sailing at the Sailing at The Dip dropped round an old Tushingham 3.5 for high wind foiling!

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