Friday 12th November - Windsurf ** River Orwell at Levington Marina – sunshine and showers:(.
Foil – 18.97 knot max, 17.27 knot ave., 5.43 knot hour, 15.65 knot mile, 31.58 km., 13.91 knot alpha.
Exocet RF AST 91 with Slingshot Hover Glide 76 with Tushingham Thunderbird 6.5m.
With a moderate SSW forecast and with my cold/cough lingering I did not feel up to an open water session so headed over to the River Orwell at Levington despite the tide being low! There was a good breeze blowing onshore but the water level was very low but I decided to give it a try setting up my foil board and putting it by the marina entrance, then took a chance with my favourite foil sail, the Tushingham Thunderbird 6.5. The weather was not very inspiring as I took my sail to the water being cloudy but mild. You did have to get your kit through a couple of metres of deep mud before you reach the deep channel but that was not too big a problem apart from a coating of mud on one side of the boom! I then did 24 tacks to cover the 260m before reaching the deep water in the Orwell. Once you are there you have plenty of deep water to sail in if you stick to the channel which is easy in a SW. The session started will with the 6.5 being a fraction big for a while, I got a few long runs down towards Pin Mill, having fun flying past the odd yacht still out sailing! My gybing is coming on OK now and it is good to practice on the flat water. Then the gloom descended on me and the rain started with the wind dropping right off, not great:( With the water level still low I did not fancy heading ashore and floundered about hoping for the rain to clear and for the wind to build again. The sun did manage to come out and I got a few gusts to continue my gybe practice but it was very hit and miss. I waited for a ship to pass before calling it a day. With the tide now coming in there was loads of water to land. Pack up, quick chat with Jamie, hot shower and home for a warming cuppa and cake.
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