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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 2882 |
1st January 2017 Windsurfing: Levington Wind Direction: sw Wind Stength: 3/8 Surf / Sea State: flat Air Temperature: 7 Sea Temperature: Weather: cloudy with showers Max Speed: 8 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 10 miles (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise) Saturday 31st December – New Year’s Eve After an epic 7 hour visit to an old friend for lunch and tea we returned home exhausted and basically watched TV and dozed until we decided we couldn’t wait for the New Year and went to bed at 11 p.m. We were pleased to be woken at 12 by an amazing amount of fireworks and the ships in the dock blowing their hooters for what must have been half an hour. Felixstowe is really good at bringing in the New Year! Sunday 1st January 2017 – New Year’s Day – windsurf *** cloud with rain later:( I was anxious to get a session in today with a reasonable forecast and tide it seemed Levington would be a good place to head for. After my usual breakfast porridge eaten while looking at the forecast I decided to give Levington a look even though it was supposed to rain later. It was never going to be as good as New Year’s Day last year! 1st Jan here Mag was hoping to bike across the fields to meet me later. When I arrived the megles and the squibs were getting ready for a racing session so I thought I might tag along. However, by the time I got my gear rigged they were already heading out onto the river and I had to flag a car down in the Marina to get my wet suit zip closed! New Year’s resolution - Must get some lube to make that easier! With the boats milling around for the start of their New Year’s Day race just up river I headed down towards the bay hoping for a stronger breeze, I was sadly disappointed! With spinnakers up the Megles were disappearing to the docks I decided to fall in line with the slower Squibs to see what the course was? It was a slow beat against the tide to a large bouy by Felixstowe docks. The Squibs could beat higher than me in the light airs and was last of 5 approaching the bouy, but the last boat failed to make it and had to tack so I was up to 4th:) It was then a long run/reach to the red bouy in the bay where the wind disappeared and I went in when I couldn’t get out of my harness! With wet already cold hands about to get even colder I nearly sailed back to the van but my gloves warmed my hands a little so I continued to the turning point up river 400m another large navigation bouy. I then completed the second lap staying in 4th place as the winds went even lighter and it was difficult to make against the tide at times:( and I fall in the same place again in the bay as the wind went. I was glad I managed the two laps and really enjoyed playing with the boats :) I was keen to get into the van and warm up my hands and feet but, of course, I had to get someone to get me out of the wetsuit first! The diesel heater soon warmed me up and after a while I got out of the van to de-rig. Then it started raining!! Mag had texted that she was on her way and luckily the rain only started when she was nearing the marina and she didn’t get too wet. Quickly got her bike into the back of the van and I continued to get wet with the remaining de-rigging!! We ate cheese straws and mince pies with our cuppa – those left overs have got to go today – we can’t bear to look at them any more :) The river was fast disappearing in thick cloud making it very eerie and after the excitement of seeing a kingfisher emerge from the gloom and shoot past the van we decided to call it a day and return home. We were pleased we made the effort and actually did something on what would otherwise have been a very damp and boring day :) The time has come for the stats for 2016 and although I have only had 53 Sessions as opposed to 83 last year it is not too bad considering I didn’t sail in March, June, September as we were off having adventures in the Camper Van. :) Windsurfing highlights were few and far between but I remember a few days, a 55n/mile session on the River Stour at Bradfield in July along with 3 sessions in the South of France at Gruissan, Port Nautique and La Franqui in October. My fastest speed of the year was 36.52kts at Southend also in July. So, a pretty average year and we probably had more fun on our bikes where we did 80 trips:) Windsurfing Boards used: - Fanatic Cat – 14 times Fanatic Falcon 80 – 3 times Fanatic Cross 100 – 1 time F2 Xantos 310 – 17 times F2 Xantos 295 – 22 times F2 Ride 282 – 9 times Sails used:- Tushingham Lightning 9.4 – 11 times Tushingham Lightning 8.5 – 15 times Tushingham Lightning 7.8 – 16 times Tushingham Lightning 6.5 – 6 times Tushingham X-15 6.4 – 1 time Tushingham Vulcan 6 – 1 time Tushingham X-15 – 5.8 3 times Photo Gallery Here |
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