Monday 19th August– Windsurf ** - River Orwell at Levington – sunny periods.
Fin – 23.03 knot max., 21.27 knot ave., 6.86 knot hour, 16.53 knot mile, 22.30 km., 15.67 knot alpha.
F2 Zantos 310 with 44 fin and Tushingham Lightning 8.5m.
Starboard Formula and Slingshgot Hover Glide F/Wind with Tushingham Lightning 6.5m
We were a bit sad when our son Rob, partner Hannah and Arlo went home yesterday, we had a wonderful week enjoying every moment although Arlo is non-stop absolutely exhausting for a pensioner but we love him to bits. So, with a bit of breeze forecast today from the west I was keen to get out and make amends for Saturdays very patchy session! Levington was the only local option and when Neil Hurrell messaged on WhatsApp saying that he was at the marina already with white water everywhere I was keen to get there as several foilers were also going. I had not done my exercises for awhile so I did them in the garden in the sun first, breakfast before heading off arriving around eleven with Neil rigging 8m for his small formula board. My plan was to foil but it seemed a little breezy for a foil novice like my so I went for my 8.5 on my big Zantos to check the conditions? There was plenty of water as I head off towards the bay but sadly the wind was very very patchy, there was the odd good gust and I made it down to the docks but it wasn’t much fun:( So I returned to the van and rigged 6.5 for the foil, by now three more experienced foiler had arrived Jamie, Michael and Simon who had sails between 5.5 and 7m! The tide was now nice and high so I got the foil in the water and set off but the conditions were hard for a learner being very up and down, 10 knots one minute 25 the next, even the better foilers had wallowing moments but they certainly do the miles when they get flying especially upwind, it is a get way to explore if only I could get the hang of sustained flight. If anything, my foiling is going backwards at the moment as I am falling off the back and being thrown off the front. I moved my mast position to ‘C’ on the fuselage which put the front foil further forward for easier take-off, I can take off easily but just can’t control it so I will put it back to ‘B’ and see if that improves things? It is certainly easier when using a smaller sail especially when you spend as much time in the water as me! it is frustrating being a fairly proficient windsurfer of 40 years being made to look like an absolute beginner who has never stepped on a windsurfer before. I think the biggest problem around here is most of the good foiling venues are notoriously gusty, I can handle it easily on a fin board, just rig big and bear off but it is not that easy on a foil, you can’t believe how scary it is doing 18 knots downwind flying knowing you are going to end up in the water! Still don’t give up, just needs more hours on the water and some constant 12/15 knots days would be good. Big turn out on the River Orwell today, 3 on fin 4 on foils and the foils won hands down today!
https://www.facebook.com/stephen.squirrell.1/media_set?set=a.10216547135443526&type=3
http://mkwindsurfing.co.uk/booms/
https://wetndryboardsports.com/windsurf/windsurf-foils/slingshot-hover-glide-fwind-windsurf-foil-2019.html?SID=810929ee0d3d94236235c95d49103b2f
|