Friday 3rd September - Windsurf ***** The Dip at Felixstowe – sunny and warm :).

Foil – 18.00 knot max, 16.41 knot ave ., 11.75 knot hour, 14.68 knot mile, 57.45 km ., 12.96 knot alpha.

Exocet RF AST 91 with Slingshot Hover Glide 76 with Tushingham Lightning 7.8m.

We were tempted by a sunrise walk along the prom but it was very cloudy at 5.30 so went back to sleep! Then an amazing thing happened after a fortnight of very little sun the blue skies returned to the East Coast really lifting the spirits:) Again we had a perfect tide for The Dip with a moderate breeze forecast so fingers crossed I could get back on the water again? Exercises in the back garden before packing lunch I headed down to The Dip arriving at 12.45 taking Mag with me so she could walk home and the conditions looked absolutely perfect and I could not wait to rig. As Mag set off for home, I set up my foil board and then had to pick a sail, in the end I went for 7.8 which proved perfect for the whole session:) Surprisingly there were not many windsurfers about with only me, David Coles, Ian Clarke, Michael Galbraith with Al Wix at The Manor end! I was first away and waa soon up and flying in the super smooth water at The Dip where I could have stayed and practised my gybing but I just can’t help myself and headed off really broad, playing with the swell all by myself in perfect conditions, right sail, joust so much fun made even better by the deep blue sky, certainly my favourite colour! I saw Al Wiz out on his fin board and going well. I stopped in front of the beach at Landguard for a few pics before starting the challenging beat back as the sea was really big at this end especially out by the Wadgate post. It is good to try and keep the foil board from hitting the big waves by using subtle movement back and forth! I was joined by foil racer David Coles who spent most of his session at The Manor but I returned to sail with Ian and Michael who were having a gybe feast at The Dip:) I had a mixed day with my gybes but it is definitely improving, just haven’t made up my mind whether to flip the rig before or after changing my feet! It was so flat in close making turning much easier, I was even using the waves to turn on out to sea with varying degrees of success! After my long trip down the coast, I was getting knackered so I decided to call it a day, shame really as the conditions were perfect even though it was now wind with tide! The kitesurfers were now out in force and I counted 17 in a fairly small area in the mouth of the River Deben! So, a great day was had by all, definitely one of my best sessions ever at Felixstowe on a foil:)

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