Saturday 25th  October  – Windsurf **** River Orwell at Levington  –  sunny periods then rain.

Foil – 18.31  knot max, 17.08 knot ave., 12.45  knot hour, 15.39 knot mile, 31.63 km., 14.96 knot alpha. 

Starboard Freeride 150 and a Evolution Freeride foil with a Naish Nalu 4.75.

After yesterdays great day out and about with the Granddaughter I woke this morning with a cold but the sun was out, the tide was good and the wind was up so I manned up and drove over to Levington Marina, a busy day there as they had a open day/boat sale. I could park right by the little launch beach and had it all to myself, the wind was from the NW after setting up my foil board, sail size was a bit of guess work as the wind was cross off from the right, with white water I the middle of the River Orwell it looked breezy so rigged my 4.75, one of my favourite foil sails! Even with the sun out it was only 11 degrees making it a hat and glove day but I did not get cold at all! I do like sailing here in this direction even if it does push up a big swell down the middle of the river where the wind is at it’s strongest, I could have easily used 4.25 there but it eased each side and flattened off making it great fun to gybe and I didn’t drop one:) After a few runs in front of the marina I slowly made my way down to the corner where I did several longer runs, not pushing too hard due the the big swell and I was not feeling 100% but such good fun foiling inn the sunshine with a small sail, just me with a few yachts:) Getting knackered I started to beat back as the Harwich Lifeboat arrived at the marina for the open day! The wind did ease a little but I got back with no problems having sailed 20 miles which was OK for an old boy with a cold! Packing up, showered, I drove to the far end of the marina to walk back to take a pic of the lifeboat and the marina lightship which has now had it’s light returned painted! I drive home and as there is another imminent high tide I drive down to Felixstowe Ferry again to see it. The water level was a foot higher today with much more water I the boatyard so I get water I my wellies today taking pics! I then stop near the Martello tower where the water is breaking against the sea wall and I got really wet here! Another quick stop at The Dip with no beach in sight, Felixstowe has been lucky that this run of high tides came at the same time as offshore winds making the sea really flat! Then to end a top day just before sunset around 5.30 the sky darkened and we had a shower so I quickly drove down to the seafront, sadly I just missed the rainbow but the sky looked amazing with a bank of dark clouds turned gold as the sunn sets over the docks! 

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