Tuesday 11th June – windsurf **** Levington – sunny.

Starboard Formula and Slingshot Hover Glide F/Wind 76 with Tushingham Lightning 7.8

Foil – 18.89 knot max., 17.22 knot ave., 7.86 knot hour, 0.00 knot mile, 19.10 km., 0.00 knot alpha.

The original forecast was cloudy with light winds so after a visit from Simon Chippington where we discovered the lead for his GW-60 was faulty, then breakfast, Mag and I went for a walk along the prom here at Felixstowe to test my new GW-60 (gps) watch which keeps losing the satellite signal and sadly it did have trouble keeping the signal which makes it next to useless, these watches are just not fit for purpose:( We met up with some friends and walked to the end of the prom at the Manor end in lovely sunshine and an increasing breeze! On getting home I checked Landguard weather station and it had dropped so it was back to plan ‘A’ visit an old friend as we do every Tuesday. Then the southerly breeze kicked in enough for big kit on the seafront but I was keen to try out my new Slingshot foil so I hitched the trailer and headed to Levington. The level crossing is still closed so you have to make a small detour through Levington Village. Just reaching the village I was flagged down by a couple of ladies who informed me that I had lost a board off my trailer!!! I quickly ran up the road to retrieve my board and it didn’t look too badly damaged. I tried it on and carried onto the marina and the SSW wind looked ideal to give foiling another go. I have not been on a foil since April 28 when I decided the Neil Pryde had to go. I eventually sold it on eBay for a good price and splashed out on a Slingshot with a big 76 front wing after Andy Mexome got one and has really progressed quickly! I had to get some longer stainless steel bolts and Mark Smalling gave me a stainless plate to act as a reinforcing washer which was kindly drilled by Ian Clark:) You keep both the wings fixed to the fuselage and is keep in a cool carry bag so the foil is very quick to set-up:) It comes with a short 61cm mast and I have ordered a 90 which has yet to come but the shorter mast is ideal for learning and foiling in shallow venues like here on the River Orwell and I didn’t hit the bottom once! By the time I was ready there was enough water so I didn’t have to walk far in the muddy shallows! It was a bit of a beat out of the marina channel but once in the main river it was fine with long diagonal runs across the river. The foil still doesn’t fly as easily as I would like but that might be the board but I was soon getting some nice log runs especially on the starboard tack. You really have to concentrate to sustain flight and my longest runs were out of the harness with my front foot in the strap but the rear foot right on the back of the board over the foil. I still need the bigger gusts to fly but once up I was getting some longer runs and when you get tired to can hook in the harness and sail in conventional style so your arms can recover! My gps watch seemed to behave and it was nice to be out with the dinghies, I must be improving as I only ended up in the water once, then the breeze dropped so I headed back managing to get ashore with no scratches to the foil:) The nice thing about sailing here is there is a tap to rinse your wetsuit and foil and the water was nice and flat. So, things are coming along OK and I was spotted by a couple of mates and seem to have a new nick name – Flying Squirrel :)

https://www.facebook.com/stephen.squirrell.1/media_set?set=a.10216101872872240&type=3

 http://mkwindsurfing.co.uk/booms/

https://wetndryboardsports.com/windsurf/windsurf-foils/slingshot-hover-glide-fwind-windsurf-foil-2019.html?SID=810929ee0d3d94236235c95d49103b2f