Tuesday 9th – windsurf **** The Dip - Felixstowe – mainly cloudy.

F2 Xantos 295 and 38 cm fin with Tushingham Lightning 7m.

26.61 knot max, 25.03 knot ave ., 16.37 knot hour, 20.94  knot mile, 62.50 km., 16.50 knot alpha.

Looks like this is going to be the start of a run of NE winds we get once or twice a year here on the East coast:) So my local venue was the order of the day and I headed to The Dip for the second time this year, low water is water is best here so I headed down early and was parked up at 8.15 with low tide at 8.30 and two kiters were already out! The wind can be a bit light early but I had gusts to 20 mph on the gauge so took a chance with 7m on the 133 lt Xantos. This set up proved nearly perfect and I was out on the water for the next 126 minutes sailing non-stop, not overly fast but great fun sailing out to the red and white bouy and the session turned into a gybe feast and I only dropped a couple when I was getting tired towards the end of the session! The win was not strong enough to be super-fast and the sea state has been smoother in this direction, the incoming tide didn’t help meaning you had to sail hard upwind after going for your broad speed run! There was an area a lumpy chop close in followed by some smooth water and then the sea got big further out but you could find a nice wave to turn and by the beach where I got my best alphas you had to concentrate in the lumps. The kiters packed up and I spent most of the session all by myself but nothing new there! I wanted to go for some mile runs but with tide with wind I didn’t want to sail that far broad as it would have taken a couple of tacks to get back! Near the end of the session I beat hard out over a mile and came back broad but the sea was too big to get over much over 25 knots but it was my best mile of the day. I had an OK hour of 16.37, not bad as it consisted of a lot of upwind sailing with my second hour being over 14 knots so I covered 62.50 km. (38 miles) in a fraction over two hours! I was going to Wrabness on the Stour tomorrow but might do it all again in Felixstowe and hope for some company – anyone fancy The Dip at 8 in the morning to make the most of the tide??? I lave a early session as it leaves you free for the rest of the day:)

PS – despite an air temperature of 10 degrees I had two hours sailing and was toasty with hat and gloves, staying onboard during the gybes is a big help too:)

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