Owner:
squiz
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Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3070
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28th June 2022
Windsurfing: Levington Wind Direction: S Wind Stength: 12/20 Surf / Sea State: smooth and river chop Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: Sunny and hot :) Max Speed: 21.85 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 36.75 mile (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
Tuesday 28th June - Windsurf ***** - River Orwell at Levington – sunny
and warm.
Longboard Fin – 21.85 knot max, 20.41 knot ave.,, 10.12 knot hour, 14.52
knot mile, 58.93 km., 11.45 knot alpha.
Fanatic Cat with Tushingham Lightning 8.5m and 39 fin.
With my new foil finally arriving at the windsurfing shop in Colchester
this might be my last longboard outing for awhile as am keen to get back
foiling to see if I remember how to do it??? I will keep my much loved and
well battered Fanatic Cat on my trailer so I can take it out from time to
time as its not always easy to launch a foil at my home spot of Felixstowe
if there is a shorebreak! Again I was hoping to go to the River Orwell at
Levington to make the most of a favourable high water but with winds light
first thing it was not looking great so decided to do my exercises in the
garden enjoying the warm sunshine. With the southerly wind building nicely
I decide to hitch up the trailer arriving at the marina around 10.30 with
the parking area already full with four foilers about to head out in a good
breeze straight down the Orwell from Felixstowe docks:) My plan today was
to sail around to Wrabness on the River Stour to say hello to Jason Powell
who messaged me last night inviting me over for a sail:) Just for a change
I was last on the water today sailing straight into loads of wind making
another good beat down the Orwell to Felixstowe docks, the beauty of this
old long is you could use the full width of the river and not worry about
hitting the bottom, something on a foil you have to think about all the
time! It took 18 tacks to make the Stour, I had to do some shorter runs in
front of the docks as a huge container ship was coming in, passing Shotley
marina and the recently refurbished Halfpenny pier as I started the 6 mile
beat up the pretty Stour, the wind was a little patchy but included some
good gusts with again some amazing skies:) As I passed Holbrook school, I
could see Jason in the distance out on his fin board with 7.3. I had to
tack and sail across the river but did not make the launch beach so landed
to take a few pics before continuing up river, taking opposite Bradfield
before meeting up with Jason who was now packing up. After a nice chat, I
haven’t seen him for awhile but with the tide now going out and the wind
looked to have eased I thought it best to head for home! It was the start
for another verry pleasant sail back, not windy enough to move the tack
back and I still used some plate but very comfortable, it did chop up where
the two rivers meet but the wind had picked up here so stopped just past
Shotley Marina to move my tack back as it is difficult to do while sailing!
With the tide now whizzing out it had roughed up being nowhere near as flat
as the outward trip. I had a nice dual with a yacht sailing upriver and
soon left him behind and soon broke 20 knots:) I waved at windsurfing mate
Mark Swain out teaching boat handling in a rib:) Then with the wind still
up I carried on broad reaching towards Pin Mill in hope of getting a
20-knot average which I managed plus this was my second longest trip of the
year, covering nearly 37 miles in the sunshine. With the tide dropping it
was time to call it a day, pack up, shower before driving the 6 miles back
home but not before stopping for a chat with James who works at the marina
who I haven’t seen for ages, so another 5-star session on the old
longboard with warm sunshine all the way:)
Photo Album here
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