Wednesday 13th July - Windsurf **** - The Dip at Felixstowe – sunny periods.

 Foil – 15.88 knot max, 14.83 knot ave.,, 10.60 knot hour, 13.62 knot mile, 40.60 km., 10.43 knot alpha.

Starboard Freeride 150 and an Evolution Freeride foil with a Sailworks Retro 7.5.

After a top early morning bike ride from Felixstowe to Levington for breakfast all I had to do was my exercises in the back garden and wait for the light NW breeze to switch easterly and build. With the wind starting to come around midday Mag and I had lunch before I hitched the trailer. With a few heading to The Manor I decided to try there first, I could have parked just but there was someone fishing right in the middle of my rigging area so I decided to head over to The Dip, which I had all to myself at this point:) There seemed like a nice breeze so I set up my foil and rigged my now favourite foiling sail, my 2001 Sailworks Retrro 7.5 which seems perfect for lighter foiling day, I can use it with my smaller boom too, I also have the 8.5 which I am keen to try too! I headed out just after 2.30 setting course downwind for Wadgate post as Michael G as approaching The Dip, sailing up from the Manor. I am growing more confident with the new kit with all speeds improving slowly, it was not a day to go fast as there was quite a big sea especially two miles out! Gybing is still a work in progress and I need a few sessions on flat water to try and sort that but I got around a few times without failing in which is always good:) From Wadgate I then ended up just past the pier before running parallel with the beach past the Manor where Robert was just about to launch and Simon C was out winging. I then started the beat back in a sea that was surprisingly big and I was surprised now well I went considering the winds rarely got past 15 knots, probably lighter most of the time and I made it back to The Dip in 9 tacks to so Swainy now out foiling:) I then had a couple of long two mile plus runs out to the shipping channel before calling it a day and what a day it was, top bike ride this morning followed by two hours of foiling fun, not overly warm today as pretty cloudy this afternoon but ok in my shortie:)
The when I got home I discovered I had three pics in the local paper which always puts a smile on my face:)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=stephen.squirrell.1&set=a.10223836737239015

Wednesday 13th July – bike ***** – Felixstowe to Levington for breakfast – sunny periods and warm.

Got up around 6.30 with Mag already downstairs cleaning the patio door! We decide to head out early to avoid the heat of the day so I pack our breakfast. We are on the road at 7 with some great clouds but also the usual blue sections too. We have to drop a letter at out sons before taking the shortest and quickest route to our breakfast destination, the bench overlooking the River Orwell near Levington Church:) So it was straight along Trimley High Road and along the cycle path by the busy A 14. Sadly, we see loads of road kill including a deer, weasel, squirrel, magpie but on the plus side we saw a live fox, 5 deer, two green woodpeckers, some black tailed godwits, swans, geese, wagtails, black headed gulls to name but a few:) It was great to be out early, nice temperature to be cycling, in fact because the roads were so flat, we rarely used the e-wheel only switching it on to help us up the hills! Reaching the lovely church at Levington I go and take some pics while Mag heads for the bench. We are soon enjoying a cuppa with Weetabix and fruit, well yummy.  We chat to a few dog walkers and are entertained by a pair of noisy green woodpeckers and 4/5 deer in the field below us:) Well rested we take the footpath down to the quiet Levington Creek, ignoring the no cycling sign to head to Levington marina which is full of weed! Then around to Loompit lake which is full of swans and geese again with Godwits feeding in the river mud! Then back along our favourite tree lined track, stopping to feed the fish in the little pond before several dogs go for a swim! Then home for another cuppa before doing my exercises in the garden, not so hot today as much cloudier. The light NW wind is supposed to turn easterly around one and build to 17 knots so hopefully will get a foil this afternoon:)