Owner:
squiz
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Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3070
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17th February 2023
Windsurfing: Levington Wind Direction: WSW Wind Stength: 15/30 Surf / Sea State: river chop Air Temperature: 15 Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny periods Max Speed: 21.15 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 15.75 mile (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
Friday 17th February - Windsurf *** River Orwell at Levington – sunny
periods.
Foil – 21.15 knot max, (year and spot PB) 19.77 knot ave,(year and spot
PB) 7.87 knot hour, 16.12 knot mile, 25.09 km., 16.39 knot alpha.
Starboard Freeride 150 and an Evolution Freeride foil with a Naish Nalu
4.25m.
As I haven’t been out since 3rd February I was keen to get out today even
though the WSW to W wind was set to gust over 30 knots and I would be
sailing a falling tide at Levington but with the temperature going to 15
degrees it was too good an opportunity not to try. Mag had agreed to head
over to the marina with lunch on her bike for one so I put my wetsuit on at
home and arrived at ten. There was loads of water to launch but sadly the
wind was WSW, west is much better here with the wind gusting over 30 knots
but the sun was out and the water fairly smooth so I quickly set up my foil
and for the first time ever rigged my Naish 4.25m wave sail, never foiled
with a sail that small before! I set off around 10.30 into probably the
most wind I have foiled in and at times the 4.25 was fraction too big but
being a gusty venue, the small sail soon becomes too small but it was great
fun doing runs diagonally across the corner, just me and a few birds.
Gyblng with a small sail is just so easy and my 10 best alphas were all
over 15 knots an surprisingly I broke 20 knots 4 times with a best speed of
21.15 (year and spot PB) with an average of 19.77 (year and spot PB)
getting closer to a 20 knot ave. I did not drop in once while gybing which
is always pleasing, I did have one sticky moment when my mast extension
popped out of my mast base, I had to drift to shallow water to replace it
but was soon on my way again. By this time the wind had gone patchy and
with a small sail it was a slow beat back but I made it OK and was hoping
to see Mag at the van? Sadly, she was not as I was packing up, Jamie who
works at the marina came running up saying it was Mag on the line, very
sadly she had been knocked off her bike in Felixstowe on a round about by
an old lady who said she had not seen her despite Mag wearing a bright
yellow fluorescent jacket, some people just should not be driving, she had
badly damaged her top lip, teeth and right arm, luckily our son Dan who was
working from home just up the road was with her and an ambulance had been
called. I thanked Jamie for his help, quickly completed packing up and
headed back to Felixstowe still in my wetsuit! Mag was sitting in Dan’s
car and looked a real mess, covered in blood. With no sign of the
ambulance, we cancelled it and Dan drove her to A & E in Ipswich while I
went home to shower and change before heading over to Ipswich Hospital. Mag
was nowhere to be seen in A & E so I asked her whereabouts and a very nice
man directed me to the Urgent Treatment centre where poor old Mag was
having the hole in her top lip sawn back together before the worst bit when
they had to reset the break in her lower arm! Dan was absolutely brilliant
staying with her the whole time and we cannot fault the amazing service she
received from the NHS, the doctors and nurses were wonderful. We left the
hospital at 4.45 and drove home with the most amazing sunset, I did have to
stop a couple of times to take pics. Sadly this will slow Mag up for a few
week, biking is out of the question and we will go out of our way to avoid
the roads as much as possible but hopefully Mag can still get out and about
walking as she is not great sitting on the settee!
Photo Album here
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