Tuesday 1st February - Windsurf ** River Orwell at Levington – sunny periods and very windy.

Foil – 16.15 knot max, 15.38 knot ave., 0.00 knot hour, 12.83 knot mile, 8.20 km., 12.39 knot alpha.

Exocet RF AST 91 with Slingshot Hover Glide 76 with Tushingham Vulcan 6m.

Fin – 25.39 knot max, 22.73 knot ave., 2.51 knot hour, 0.00 knot mile, 4.60 km., 8.94 knot alpha.

F2 282 Ride with Naish Nalu 4.7m and 36 fin.

After yesterday cold but very windy day it was supposed to be lovely and mild with the wind dropping, well they got the mild bit right! Arranged to meet up with Robert at Levington Marina at 10 to make the most of the high tide around midday day. They were loads of weather when we arrived with the sun just appearing but with the wind wnw, cross off it was a job to gauge its strength but there was lots of white water on the far back so after setting up the foil boards I stupidly rigged 6m while Robert with more sense went for 4.5. I was first out and soon realised I could not sheet in especially in the middle of the river but things improved as I headed down towards the docks where the water was much smoother, it was very lumpy in front of the marina! It fast turned into a survival session so after a few runs decided to head back and change down, my initial thought being to 5.2 but things had now gone bonkers so started to rig my 4.7. I changed my mind and decided to try my 115 lt. fin board with the 6m, big mistake. With the wind now blowing straight down the river still against the tide making it very rough, I nave never sailed in the river here this rough and in the end, I was lucky to get back after just one trip across! Robert had made it back and had started to rig his 4m but we checked the Landguard weather station and it was now constantly gusting over 40 knots at Shotely!!!! I then put my boom on the 4.7 and had a go on that but it was still a real handful especially with the river being so rough so decided to come in again. We sat on the bench watching the wild weather but it did seem to ease a little so decided to give it another go. I felt a little more comfortable this time but for the second session recently disaster happened! I had just set off from the far bank to return to the marina when for some reason my mast extension decided to pop out of my mast base leaving me in the very cold water, in the roughest bit trying to hold onto my rig and board! I was now worried thinking that it would be impossible to reattack them together again with the waves breaking over my head, at least the sun was out as I drifted down river with the tide now turned! After what seemed an age, I managed to reconnect them and sailed back! Robert was worried having got his binoculars as he could not see me in the water! I was lucky to get back and this is the reason I sail here in the winter as if that had happened out to sea I would have been in serious trouble especially with the water being so cold! Robert then had a couple of runs on the foil with 4m but was way over powered. I then decided to call it a day as had got cold which is a big shame really as now with the wind and tide together the river had calmed down and it looked really good but I did not want to push my luck ant further! Then while packing up I realised that one of my board bags had blown away into the marina! Having packed up the hot marina shower soon warmed me up and I headed for home in time to go visiting in the afternoon to an old friend with Mag. My lap top has seized up and needs scanning etc so the report is slightly delayed! To think we are going to do it all again today but hopefully not in 40 knot winds!

PS – while at our friends in the afternoon Jamie from Levington Marina rang to say he had found my board bag :)

Had a top sunset too :)

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