Saturday 20th June – windsurf **** The Dip, Felixstowe – sunny.

Starboard formula with foil and Lightning 7.8. wind 10 to 14 ssw.

Foil – 14.92 knot max, 14.02 knot ave ., 7.76 knot hour, 12.14 knot mile, 21.30 km., 9.86 knot alpha

After a top early morning bike ride and a yummy chicken sandwich in the back garden with Mag I checked WhatsApp to see if anyone was out, learning that first time foiler Paul Smith was out at The Dip. So I hitched my trailer and headed down, several sailors were setting up their foils but the wind looked marginal at best. With the wind pretty much onshore I decided to give it a try, I set up my foil to give the wind a chance to build but decided to rig my 7.8 as I had left my new 8.5 at home! David Coles was flying everywhere on his full race set-up and 9m but I defiantly didn’t have enough sail with 7.8 and I doubt my 8.5 would have been big enough at this point! Then the wind filled in and I started to beat down the coast but there was no way I could get anywhere near the racers but it was great fun flying over the waves, as I neared Jacobs Ladder te wind went light so I wobbled back ending up past the red and white bouy. Then the wind filled in enough for me to comfortably foil on both tacks. It was interesting sailing through the rough water in the River Deben entrance, I took it steady going out but had more fun coming in. I then had some really great broad runs down in Bawdsey bay where the sea was lovely and smooth:) I was only in the front foot strap when going really broad but on other points of sailing I felt comfortable in both straps. I am also learning to keep the board from catching the waves by weighting the backfoot. I am loving the foiling at the moment and can’t wait for my new foil board to arrive, it’s the first new board I have bought in 30 years! The only downside was I put a 6” hole in my sail but it was soon repaired with some tape. Another day of wind tomorrow so hopefully I can get out on the foil again!

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