Wow - what a top day - Team GB up to 4th in the medal table and a 5 star day out on the longboard :) Arranged to meet my mate Neil Hurrell at The Dip and when we got there at 10:30 there was not enough for a shortboard but with winds forecast to pick up like yesterday we decided to rig 8.5 and take the longboards for a spin !!! Neil said that Radio Suffolk were broadcasting from Felixstowe pier so we started off beating there with just enough wind to hook in okay, the reach back to the River Deben was alright using half plate and surfing the waves :) With a 4m + tide we had plenty of water so ran the 10 miles to Woodbridge - well I reached it mostly as I could then hook in and I must have sailed twice the distance of Neil and he got to the Woodbridge SC first !!! I managed a 22 kt peak on this leg and saw hundreds of birds too :) Neil then treated me to tea for two (in a lovelly pot too ) as the wind really increased as the tide turned !!! We then had the 10 beat back maxed out most of the way and the river was very rough with wind against tide. Neil continued back to The Dip to rig 6m on his short board while I had several good runs from near Bawdsey beach to Ramsholt corner where I found some fairly flat water and recorded my fastest times and best N/mile :) even if abit shallow !!! I then sailed back past several kiters in the rivermouth where the river is fairly narrow and you had to tack alot. At The Dip several shortboard sailors were out with sails from 5.3 to 6.7 but it was too late to rig more kit and I was knackered after several hours sailing but after a short break and a sandwich decided to beat to The Fludgers and go for a broad mile. The beat was fantastic, fully powered sailing into a big sea into the sun :) sadly I was a little under when sailing really broad but still managed a 20 kt + N/mile which was not bad considering now big the sea was !!! So a top top day out with a mate for 6/7 hours and then out to the Ferryboat pub for a meal to celebrate Neils wife - lind's 60th birthday - great day :)
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