Monday 27th September - Windsurf ***** Levington Marina on the Rive Orwell – sunny.

Fin – 27.66 knot max, 25.04 knot ave ., 15.54 knot hour, 22.29 knot mile, 66.36 km., 17.51 knot alpha.

F2 Zantos 295 with 36 fin and Tushingham Lightning 6.5m.

The forecasters got it spot on today, the morning we had a strong SSW with rain, that moved off around midday with the wind turning WNW and the sun came out. So managed to do my exercises and have enough time to drive to the end of our road to get some pics of the bad weather heading out across the North Sea:) I then make a roll and drive over to the River Orwell at Levington where there were loads of wind and water. I decide to start off on my fin board, the F2 Xantos 295 and took a chance with my Thunderbird 6.5, thinking I could swop over to my foil if the wind drops as expected. In the end the wind stayed for the whole session only dropping as the tide turned late in the afternoon! I had an hour out all by myself before being joined by Michael, Robert and Ian all out foiling in somewhat challenging conditions. With a touch of North again it does chop up the river and as usual there was a big swell on the corner in front of the marina. I had some mega runs right down to Felixstowe docks, 1.75 miles planing all the way, I got some nice miles times considering how lumpy it was! It was not super-fast but such great fun out in the warm sunshine getting some nice gybes in too:) Fin sailing here on the river does not get much better, the water would have been smoother if the wind was in the west but can’t complain, in the end I was pleased to have stuck with my fin as it was not easy foiling conditions with a lumpy water and winds gusting to 30 knots with the foilers out on 4m sails! I was out non-stop for over three hours covering 41 miles and more wind coming for the rest of the week too :)

[url=https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=stephen.squirrell.1&set=a.10222355694613875]Photo Album  Here[/url]

I was wondering if you would like to take a minute to vote for my pic in this year’s Felixstowe Photo Competition. My picture is FFF in the seashore section – all votes are greatly appreciated:)

https://www.visitfelixstowe.org.uk/features-and-stories/felixstowe-photo-competition-vote-now/