Wednesday 16th October  – Windsurf *** River Orwell at Levington – sunny and mild.

Foil – 19.05  knot max, 17.52 knot ave, 9.36  knot hour, 14.65 knot mile, 41.33 km., 15.10 knot alpha. 

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

Top forecast today, a good breeze from the SE and very mild getting to at least 18 degrees and sunny too, my first choice would have been The Manor as you can sail really long runs close to the shore but with tide tide at 11.20 I probably could not sail until after lunch and as we wanted to visit my poor old Dad in Ipswich Hospital I headed over to Levington Marina although the wind at this point was marginal:( I had a quick breakfast, packed lunch as Mag was biking over later and headed to the marina arriving around ten and there was a full house there which included 3 windsurf foilers, 5 wingers and a raceboard, I was lucky enough to get a good parking spot so Mag could have a nice view when she arrived! It did look fairly light at this point, Michael G was out with 5.8 while Neil H was just about to set off with 7.4 so I set up my board and as the wind seemed to be building I took a chance with 6.5 to be honest whatever sail I rigged today would not have been right as it was very gusty but sunny and mild so it was still nice to be on river. I was way under to start with as I slowly made my way upwind, pumping up a few times before the wind did pick up and the session improved. The runs were fairly short and if you gybed both sides of the river you did not make much upwind, in the end I did make it to the docks but progress was slow, then all I had to do was get back! Sadly the tide was now going out, the river chopped up and the wind turned even more patchy. I managed to get flying a few times and managed to get back but it was very tiring and I was getting knackered! By the time I got back everyone had gone and Mag had arrived so after a quick shower we had a lovely relaxing lunch in the van before leaving my trailer by the toilets and heading to Ipswich Hospital, my Dad did look a poorly thing at 94 and has had enough, ten days in Hospital is too long:( Then home feeling sad for a cuppa and cake.
I did spend a lot of time outside out house hoping to see the comet, sadly I did not spot it but there was a top full moon:)

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