Saturday 12th July  – Windsurf **** The Dip at Felixstowe –  sunny.

Foil – 18.21  knot max, 17.17 knot ave., 13.37  knot hour, 15.22 knot mile, 44.16 km., 13.39 knot alpha.

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

It looked promising for a foil with a 15 knot easterly and sunshine forecast, I had a message from Ian first thing saying he was hoping to go to The Dip around 2.30 giving the tide an hour or so to drop. Then at ten the wind picked and I was tempted by a trip to the River Stour at Wrabness but I could not face loading up our van and fight our way across the Orwell Bridge so decided to do my exercises in the back garden instead just as it clouded over and the wind dropped! We had another brief visit from a hummingbird moth, we have seen a few this year and with the wind still light it did not look promising so Mag and I had lunch in the garden. Ian then messaged just before 2 saying he was heading down so I hitched the trailer and headed down dropping Mag off at Sainsbury’s arriving at our small car at the same time as Ian and Al from Cambridge. There were already a few wingers out over by kite beach and it looked promising with a nice breeze from the east with our beach just beginning to show as the tide dropped. The foil board was quickly set-up along with my 6.5 which proved pretty much perfect for the two, 27 mile session! I launched at 3, it was  a little light inshore but I was quickly up and flying and didn’t look back doing the usual long runs out to sea where it was particularly rough but good fun none the less:) Once again there was mostly wingers out staying in the flatter water near the beach but as usual the wind is lighter there! I was joined on the water by another windsurf fouler Paul out on similar gear to me! Although flatter near the beach my better gybes were iut to sea where it was a little windier! Then after nearly two hours I dropped in on a gybe for the first time, the wind was going a little patchy and my swollen finger was aching a bit so I decided to call it a day after a top session in lovely sunshine, I took a few pics before taking a few pics, packing up and heading for home!

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