Saturday 20th February - Windsurf * - The Manor at Felixstowe – sunny periods.

Foil – 6.12 knot max, 5.12 knot ave., 0.13 knot hour, 0.00 knot mile, 3 km.,3.95 knot alpha.

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

On a day that promised it delivered absolutely nothing, how can a forecast southerly wind of 20 to 40 knots turn into 5 to 10, not even close :( Wasn’t sure what to do today, if it was really windy, I would have been tempted by an afternoon sail on the Orwell but things looked light and when I learned a couple of sailors were heading to The Manor here in Felixstowe to make the most of the 10.55 low water. I arrived around ten and managed to get a free parking space just before The Manor car park as Andy was about to head out on the foil with 5.8, both Ian and I both thought that was a tad optimistic but Andy had been a couple of times this week and was confident that the wind would build. Sadly, he did not close to flying so returning after a few floundering runs and joined us in a social distanced catch-up chat. Andy then rigged 6.6 but Ian and I were still not convinced there was enough wind! Then Andy did manage to pump up so we decided to give it a ty. I went for 7m while Ian rigged 5.6 he is a light weight! A fisherman had set up in our groyne as I headed out into a big sea with the wind all but disappeared! Andy managed a few flying runs and foil racer David Coles managed to sail up from The Dip I think but I did not even get close to flying and the run back to the beach was horrendous, big sea, no wind and yes, I did go in! We were all packing up as Chris Stephens and Dolphin Paul arrived but they did not sail. Still, we had a chat with the car park attendant to sort a few things out about parking now it is pay! Still even though I had a terrible sail it was not as bad as Ian’s. not only did he have to pay for the car park he broke his mast in the shore dump:( Might be some wind next Tuesday/Wednesday but the only option I think will be Felixstowe as the tides are crap for the river:(

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