Wednesday 24th July – Windsurf **** The Manor at Felixstowe – sunny periods.
Foil – 19.40 knot max , 17.85 knot ave, 10.69 knot hour, 16.82 knot mile, 43.42 km., 11.19 knot alpha.
Starboard Freeride 150 and a Evolution Freeride foil with a Tushingham Storm 6.5.
Got up early and drove down to Felixstowe Ferry to take some weathe pics as it was sunny with light winds but it poved to be a waste of time as everyone and there uncle was taking pics in Felixstowe today:(
There was a chance of a foiling beeze this afternoon so spent the day waiting for it to build which gave me plenty of time to do my execises in the sunny back garden. Then with the Landguard weather staion messing about I decided to dive down to The Manor the check out the condition knowing that high water was at 2.45 and with an onshore breeze it was not ideal! Squiz Lane was full so would have had a problem parking and with the wind gusting to 12 knots it was probably too light so went to check The Dip. Thee was a winge thee stuggling to get going and no beach to launch so that was not eally an option fo me as I have already broke a foil there trying to land at high water so I returned home for lunch. I then decided to take to take the trailer down to The Manor leaving just before 3 and my luck was in as I got prime paking position in Squiz Lane and there was a tad more breeze meaning I could take a chance with my 6.5. With the wind onshore I hoped the out going tide would not cause me any problems and it didn’t! There was a few waves rolling in but I got off the beach with no problems and slowly beat away from the shore. There didn’t seem enough breeze to get going and I was wishing I had rigged my 7.5. I managed to pump up on a small gust and I was on my way all the way down the coast flying all the way gybing at The Dip but again I had trouble getting going so tacked and slowly made my way out to the red and white bouy where I managed to pump up again, once flying you could keep it going for some fantastic long runs, you had to beat then bear off down a wave to keep going, it was roughest as usual around Jacobs Ladder and in front of the Fludyers but it was lovely and smooth down past the pier and back to The Manor. In the end I had cracking long runs sailing paralell to the coast and was surprised to break 19 knots with the wind struggling to get to 15 knots, this was the minimum strength I need to use my 6.5 but it does go remarkably well, in fact it was one of my better sessions of the year, love this direction and sailed 26 miles very easily, top afternoon, lots of sunshine too with moe wind forecast for tomorrow:)
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=stephen.squirrell.1&set=a.10227955613808355
|