Saturday 14th November - Windsurf ***** - River Orwell at Levington Marina – mainly cloudy and mild.

Foil – 18.79 knot max, 17.34 knot ave ., 12.19 knot hour (PB), 15.97 knot mile , 55.60 km ., 11.40 knot alpha.

Exocet RF AST 91 with Slingshot Hover Glide 76 with Tushingham Lightning 7m.

The second early start in a row as I head to Levington Marina arriving at eight with super keen Andy M already there, rigging his 6.6 for a trip to Mistley! Amazingly we are treated to a brief glimpse of sun but it does not look very windy, so I set up my foil and watch Andy set off. He is way underpowered and does not get flying so I hold off rigging to see what happen as James and Robert arrive. There is talk of rigging 8m but with the forecast of 35 mph winds we give it a few minutes, then the wind arrives and Andy sets off again and is up and flying straight away. I then take a chance with my 7m again and by the time I am wading out I am beginning to think I should have rigged 6m! I need not have worried because the 7m handled winds with solid 25 mph gusts so well, helped by the flat water. I started off heading towards Pin Mill as Andy went the other way to the docks but the wind was particularly strong that way so I stayed between Levington bay and Pin Mill and ended up having one of my best foiling sessions on the Orwell:) I hoped to get to the Orwell Bridge but ran out of wind in front of Pin Mill so gybed. You had the best of both worlds today a broad run to Pin Mill followed by a top nearly three mile beat back with the big gusts keeping you on your toes! Jamie was out on his foil, the first time for ages and as a lightweight did very well to hang onto to his 6.9!!! Foil racers David and Nick arrived but I don’t envy them using their really big boards and sails! I tried a few fast runs but ended up in the water a couple of times so eased off and just enjoyed the long runs, flying most of the time:) I was out well over two hours covering nearly 35 miles and despite no sun it was very mild and no rain ending up with a PB for the hour with loads of nice miles, foiling doesn’t get better than this:)

PS – while checking what was happening this afternoon on the North Beach webcam, a large number of kitesurfers out enjoying the flat water of low water in the River Deben. I then spotted the lifeboat of Bawdsey beach with a couple of ambulances on the cliff top car park, finding out that they were rescuing a windsurfer, fingers crossed there is nothing negative in the local press as accidents do happen and pleased no one was injured!

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Tuesday 17th November - Windsurf *** - River Orwell at Levington Marina – sunny periods and mild

Foil – 16.95 knot max, 15.81 knot ave ., 8.32 knot hour , 12.93 knot mile , 37.23 km ., 11.43 knot alpha.

Exocet RF AST 91 with Slingshot Hover Glide 76 with Tushingham Lightning 7.8m.

With an unseasonable 15 degrees today and a nice SW breeze forecast it meant another trip over to Levington Marina, my 19th since we had to pay to sail there, so certainly great value for money:) So after breakfast I struggle into my wetsuit, nearly dry from yesterday, Mag was glad to see the back of it as it was stinking out the house! Agreeing that Mag was going to bike over for lunch I set off arriving at the Orwell by 10 with Andy and Michael already there! Andy was keen to sail around to the Stour but was a little optimistic with his sail choice and the 6.6 was never bigger enough so quickly came back and rigged his 7.8 the same as me. Robert and Phillip had arrived as I set off with plenty of water and was soon up and flying but it was short lived and there didn’t seem much wind to the left so started sailing up river. The wind was very patchy, up and down, one minute flying the next slogging but it was still nice to be out on the river especially when the sun made an appearance:) I was slowly making my way down towards Pin Mill with Andy practising my gybes, I can get most of the way around but loss it when it is time to flip the rig but the river is an ideal place to practice. Then the wind really picked up and I was sailing straight down the middle of the river in 20 knot winds so I thought I would try to make the Orwell Bridge. I have windsurfed there several time on my long board but never on a foil! Andy saw me disappear up the river and followed, overtaking me at Woolverstone when the wind went patchy, I was a little nervous as it can get shallow up this way but we were fine and didn’t hit the bottom once helped by a pretty high tide today! Andy was first to sail under the huge bridge, always exciting and I stopped short to get some pics but sadly the quality of my little camera I take on my windsurfing adventures leaves a lot to be desired and Andy got much better pics with his mobile phone, cheers for that much appreciated, I even look like I know what I am doing as I foiled under the bridge only to be back winded by the massive columns and fall in like I do nearly every time I sail under it!!!! Still once in the water under the bridge the camera came out again, then all I had to do was sail back, always easier said than done with the wind all over the place! I manage to get away from the bridge, fly for a couple of short runs before the wind goes light. Lucky, I have the tide with me as I slog the 5 miles back on a run only flying in short bursts. I make it OK as there is more wind down by the marina but it is very up and down so decide to call it a day, lucky I did as Mag had already been there an hour, she had her phone so entertained herself by ringing a couple of friend/relations. I have a quick shower then have some yummy homemade soup before packing up and heading home via Tesco to get a local paper as I have a pic in today along with windsurfing mate Peter Cutts:) Looks like one more windy/mild day tomorrow before it turns colder, might even be able to get out on a fin board for a change:)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=stephen.squirrell.1&set=a.10220326988337486

http://mkwindsurfing.co.uk/booms

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Tuesday 17th November - Windsurf *** - River Orwell at Levington Marina – sunny periods and mild

Foil – 16.95 knot max, 15.81 knot ave ., 8.32 knot hour , 12.93 knot mile , 37.23 km ., 11.43 knot alpha.

Exocet RF AST 91 with Slingshot Hover Glide 76 with Tushingham Lightning 7.8m.

With an unseasonable 15 degrees today and a nice SW breeze forecast it meant another trip over to Levington Marina, my 19th since we had to pay to sail there, so certainly great value for money:) So after breakfast I struggle into my wetsuit, nearly dry from yesterday, Mag was glad to see the back of it as it was stinking out the house! Agreeing that Mag was going to bike over for lunch I set off arriving at the Orwell by 10 with Andy and Michael already there! Andy was keen to sail around to the Stour but was a little optimistic with his sail choice and the 6.6 was never bigger enough so quickly came back and rigged his 7.8 the same as me. Robert and Phillip had arrived as I set off with plenty of water and was soon up and flying but it was short lived and there didn’t seem much wind to the left so started sailing up river. The wind was very patchy, up and down, one minute flying the next slogging but it was still nice to be out on the river especially when the sun made an appearance:) I was slowly making my way down towards Pin Mill with Andy practising my gybes, I can get most of the way around but loss it when it is time to flip the rig but the river is an ideal place to practice. Then the wind really picked up and I was sailing straight down the middle of the river in 20 knot winds so I thought I would try to make the Orwell Bridge. I have windsurfed there several time on my long board but never on a foil! Andy saw me disappear up the river and followed, overtaking me at Woolverstone when the wind went patchy, I was a little nervous as it can get shallow up this way but we were fine and didn’t hit the bottom once helped by a pretty high tide today! Andy was first to sail under the huge bridge, always exciting and I stopped short to get some pics but sadly the quality of my little camera I take on my windsurfing adventures leaves a lot to be desired and Andy got much better pics with his mobile phone, cheers for that much appreciated, I even look like I know what I am doing as I foiled under the bridge only to be back winded by the massive columns and fall in like I do nearly every time I sail under it!!!! Still once in the water under the bridge the camera came out again, then all I had to do was sail back, always easier said than done with the wind all over the place! I manage to get away from the bridge, fly for a couple of short runs before the wind goes light. Lucky, I have the tide with me as I slog the 5 miles back on a run only flying in short bursts. I make it OK as there is more wind down by the marina but it is very up and down so decide to call it a day, lucky I did as Mag had already been there an hour, she had her phone so entertained herself by ringing a couple of friend/relations. I have a quick shower then have some yummy homemade soup before packing up and heading home via Tesco to get a local paper as I have a pic in today along with windsurfing mate Peter Cutts:) Looks like one more windy/mild day tomorrow before it turns colder, might even be able to get out on a fin board for a change:)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=stephen.squirrell.1&set=a.10220326988337486

http://mkwindsurfing.co.uk/booms

https://www.77sports.co.uk/