Monday 21st June - Windsurf ** - The Dip at Felixstowe – cloudy, cool and rain.

Fin – 24.28 knot max, 21.53 knot ave., 10.17 knot hour, 14.95 knot mile, 21.77 km.,12.61 knot alpha.

F2 Zantos 295 with 36 fin and Tushingham Lightning 7.8m.

Crappy June seems to continue, today looked promising despite the rain, in the morning we had a 20/25 North Easterly, so good start but it was high water so had to wait until at least midday to give time for the tide to drop to get more favourable conditions for The Dip here in Felixstowe. Sadly, as the tide dropped, the rain arrived and the wind dropped and it turned into a thoroughly miserable day, cool too! With no foil at present, I needed enough to fin. Still didn’t waste the time and managed to get another coat of paint on our front room ceiling before taking Mag to Lidl, I could check things out at the manor and then the dip which all looked poor. Then around 2.30 the wind picked up so I headed down to the dip and with 15 knots blowing and light rain I decided to give it a try. I rigged 7.8 for my 133lt. Xantos hoping it would be enough! I was joined by Nick Swain who kited a bit further up the coast and set off into what was a fairly big sea. It was one of those days when nothing felt right, harness lines, the set of the sail, the 7.8 Lightning is my least favourite sail anyway and I soon discovered I should have rigged my 7 or even the 6.5! I went fairly broad on my first run and then spent most of the session trying to beat back! You had the sail straight into an horrendous steep chop and out by the red and white bouy the sea was massive as the wind increased making gybing next to impossible! In the end I didn’t make the better sea up by kite beach with the wind NNE a bit off it was very up and down going fairly light close to the beach, even Nick on his kite did not stay out very long! I came ashore for more downhaul and to move the harness lines back but that only improved things marginally! I got back to the beach and decided to call it a day, another poor session in June that’s 5 now, I must be due a good one soon but at least I didn’t break anything! In the end I was pleased to get home for a warm shower as pretty chilly, feed up with the rain now!

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