Monday 22nd July  – Windsurf **** The Manor at Felixstowe  –  sunny start then cloudy with sunny end to the day.
  
Foil – 17.63  knot max , 16.83 knot ave, 13.76  knot hour, 15.73 knot mile, 42.07 km., 13.67 knot alpha. 

Starboard Freeride 150 and a Evolution Freeride foil with a Tushingham Bolt 5.5.

With a good forecast for today, 20 knots from the SW and high water around one there were a few options for a sail and I was not sure what to do with the wind not supposed to come until mid-morning? The day started sunny but that soon disappeared, Mag headed off at nine to feed our sons cats while I had breakfast, I checked Landguard weather station and webcam and there was already around 15 knots and The Manor looked good as the tide was still fairly low so I decided to head down there to check out the conditions arriving at 9.30, parking easily in Squiz Lane, the sea looked nice and smooth so the foil board was quickly set-up and I took a chance with my 5.5. Then I launched about ten and thought I had rigged too small as I set off towards Wadgate post but I managed to pump up and from there on I didn’t really look back flying over the smooth swells. After a couple of runs in front of the Manor I decided to head downwind to The Dip and had some lovely long runs as the sea state did pick up as the wind increased! I sailed out a couple of miles to buzz a yacht, I think I made them jump as I sailed past a metre from their bow:) It is always more challenging when passing the rougher water at Jacobs Ladder but I made it to the red and white bouy, gybing around that I headed into the beach turning by the windsurf spot before staring to beat back. I headed out about a mile and a half hoping to avoid the rough water at The Fudyers but was heading straight for it so tacked a little offshore and headed out again. It is always exciting beating into a big sea especially when you could actually be using a smaller sail! It took me six runs to get back including one three mile run, I was getting knackered now and after staying dry for most of the session I went in a couple of times so I was getting tired so thought it best to head in especially with high tide approaching. In the end I had been out a couple of hours covering 26 miles so definitely a 4 star session, might have been more if the sun had been out! So I packed up, took a few pics to send to the TV weather and headed for home before one:) I then had time to sort out my pics, have a little lunch, hear about Mags day and even managed to do my exercises in the back garden as the sun returned! 

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