Owner:
squiz
Member
Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3091
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1st October 2024
Windsurfing: Levington Wind Direction: W Wind Stength: 10/25 Surf / Sea State: river chop and smooth Air Temperature: 14 Sea Temperature: Weather: cloudy Max Speed: 20.92 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 27.50 mile (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
Tuesday 1st October – Windsurf **** River Orwell at Levington –
cloudy.
Foil – 20.92 knot max, 19.31 knot ave, 9.91 knot hour, 18.06 knot mile
(year PB), 44.27 km., 15.65 knot alpha.
Starboard Freeride 150 and a Evolution Slalom foil with a Tushingham Storm
5.2.
What a good way to start a new month, the weather was not great but at
least the rain did not arrive until late afternoon:) With 20 knots from the
west forecast Levington was the go to venue, with high tide at 11.40 you
could pretty much sail all day but being a Tuesday we visit an old friend
in the afternoon for a cuppa and chat so I was keen to get the sailing down
in the morning! I had a quick breakfast and set off for the marina at 8.30
and although very grey the rain was absent. They are working on some large
pipes in our parking area but I had no problem parking and with a good
breeze blowing I thought it was time that I tried my new Starboard slalom
foil which has a 6.50 front wing, a 255 tail wing with a 105 fuselage to
see if I could gain a few knots??? There was plenty of water when I
launched around 9.30 as I nervously set off having never foiled with
anything this small before! I reached the wind line and found the 5.2 I had
rigged was maybe a fraction too small, I think you need to be powered up
with a small foil, it is harder to get flying and at first I found it hard
to keep it flying as it bumped down hard several times but as the session
progressed I got better and by being gentle I could ease it into the air
and after a few runs was going OK and was surprised I could gybe it OK. At
this point there was not enough wind to sail down the river towards the
docks so did short runs in front of the marina just sussing things out, the
big rolling swell running down the river did not help but I could get
upwind OK when the gusts came through but it was up and down. It is
definitely not as solid underfoot as my big foil but after a couple of
hours as long as the wind was up I got used to it. I then headed back down
river and with some constant wind I had a few cracking long runs down to
Felixstowe docks where the water was super smooth and I was getting used to
keeping the foil flying during the lulls by bearing off, then heading back
up when the gusts returned! I did breach once when pushing too hard but
really enjoyed trying the smaller foil, it did feel faster and I was
pleased to break 20 max, get a top 18 knot mile and always nice to get a 19
knot average with loads of room to improve! I did get 4 year PB’s best
mile, 10 sec run, 250 m run and 500 m run and sailed over 27 miles, just me
and the odd yacht! The last run back was particularly patchy so it was time
to call it a day and head in, pack up, shower and home by 1.30:) the only
thing lacking was some sunshine!
Then a nice afternoon visiting as the rain arrived we got wet walking home,
then had to do a big shop before we could relax at home with a hot water
bottle, we know how to live! Hope to go to the Stour tomorrow with the wind
from the NE!
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