Tuesday 6th October - Windsurf **** - River Orwell at Levington – sunny periods.
Foil – 19.05 knot max, 17.28 knot ave ., 8.10 knot hour, 15.30 knot mile, 35.09 km ., 9.43 knot alpha.
Exocet RF 91 AST with Slingshot Hover Glide 76 with Tushingham Vulcan 6m.
67th Birthday today :)
Relaxing start to the day answering Birthday wishes on Facebook, then I got a cancellation at the dentist for 11.35 so put my windsurfing on temporary hold. Then with the wind still in the west I again headed over to the River Orwell at Levington to be joined by Robert and Ian who has just paid. It was nice to have a sunny day after several of rain and we all decided to foil as didn’t look constant enough to fin although there were some good gusts blowing down the river! Sail choice is always a little hit and miss but we all went fairly small, Ian 5.6, Robert 5.3 and I rigged an old 6m thinking it would be fine for the gusts. I already had my wetsuit on from home so was first away and hit the wind band in the middle of the river and had a great run all the way down to Felixstowe dock, having trouble sheeting in at times but lovely and flat, this is a super run in a west when it works just so flat. I did manage to hit the bottom or perhaps a rope but I was quickly away as it is nice and easy to uphaul a 6m:) With a coaster heading up to Ipswich I stayed out of the shipping channel and soon left him behind flying all the way up to Levington creek. It was a bit lumpy going that way but with the foil you could fly over them. It was really good for awhile before the wind went a little patchy but you had some 5 star runs followed by a bit of slogging waiting for the next big gust, good fun none the less:) I tried a few fast runs and ended up in the drink a couple of times, also I was trying a few gybes and very nearly made it all round once with Robert as my witness! Going upwind fully powered is such fun and then working the swell downwind, just love foiling:) Then with the tide turned and the wind up and down it was time to call it a day but I quite enjoy a gusty sail on the River Orwell. As for tomorrow with a little north in it I might be heading to my other river venue, Bradfield. Then for yummy shepherd’s pie with some of Mags delicious roulade for desert later – top Birthday although at my age I try not to think about them!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=stephen.squirrell.1&set=a.10220098943236501
http://mkwindsurfing.co.uk/booms/
https://www.77sports.co.uk/
|