Half of Suffolk was looking forward to todays forecast - 20 mph + winds and 15 degrees and the carpark at The Dip was nearly full by ten !!! Sadly as usual for Felixstowe the wind didn't seem to be playing ball and most were rigging around 7.5m when I expected to be using 6.5! I wasn't sure what to rig so set up the 7m for the 133 but Neil Hurrell wobbled in and out in light airs so quickly rigged the 8.5 for the 147, but my first run was a real struggle in next to no wind:( Then back at the beach after a chat the wind finailly filled in and I set off on the big kit, it threatened to be too much for the big kit but I stuck with it as was never really overpowered! I would beat out to the red and white bouy and then had some fun really broad for a mile but it was slow, never making 24 kts, it wasn't for the want of trying!!!! This was the best part of the tide being low but coming in and the sea was fairly smooth out to sea and you could beat back ok:) Most sailers out now about a dozen - great turnout for December - were going well on thier 7.5's and speed buddy Peter Cutts was getting loads of 24kt runs!!! on his 7.8 so it was time to try the 7m on the smaller Xantos and started getting 24 kt runs straight away - should have used the smaller kit earlier!!! I peaked just short of 25 kts but with the now much higher the sea became all but unsailable - a real mess:( so time to call it a day.So a lovely mild day, good sailing with top company:)
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