Tuesday 23d August - Windsurf **** - The Dip at Felixstowe – sunny and hot.

 Foil – 20.12 knot max, (spot PB) 18.23 knot ave., 13.15 knot hour, 16.77 knot mile, 69.18 km., 14.21 knot alpha.

Starboard Freeride 150 and Evolution Freeride foil with a Tushingham Thunderbird 6.5.

The wind gods continue to smile on us, August is turning into a top month for foiling with the most miles sailed this year with still several days left! Shock horror we actually started the day here in Felixstowe with some rain, in fact we got a whole inch in our water butts, the first in them for a couple of months now! Still managed my exercises in the garden with the sun making an appearance around midday as the wind picked up to 15 knots, so arranged with Birthday boy Ian to meet up at The Dip at 1.30. Being first to arrive I set my foil board up and took a chance with 6.5 which was perfect while the wind was up! On leaving the beach you had to take it easy though the lumpy Deben channel but then you could bear away towards Bawdsey where it was much smoother and was getting 19 knot runs, I did breach a couple of times pushing too hard and was very pleased to break 20 knots on the sea for the first time:) The wind was not overly strong maybe 14/15 knots but enough to risk beating down the coast, I made it with no problem to The Manor Martello just as the wind dropped a few knots and I had a slow 3.50 run back but got to the red and white bouy OK even managing to pump up for a flying run as the Hercules did several circles low over head but no parachutists yet. I then continued to flounder into the beach as lightweight Ian was still going amazingly well with 5.6! I had done over 20 miles and drove my van down to the prom and even spayed my foil with fresh water but then the wind filled in again and I was tempted out for another go and was really pleased I did as I had some cracking runs:) Sailing broad over to Bawdsey was great especially with the sun low over the coast making the sea sparkle:) My gybing was OK, slowly improving, definitely not falling in so much these days. With the wind from the south, I tacked out by the ed and white bouy and made it past the pier easily with a supe fun reach back playing with the swell. So, 43 miles covered with a PB max. speed so win win, good turnout on the water today to wit me, Ian, Michael, Paul, Chris, Mark, Tom and Andy all out foiling:) As usual I was last to leave finally getting home at 6.45, top day:)

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