Friday 17th February - Windsurf *** River Orwell at Levington – sunny periods.

Foil – 21.15 knot max, (year and spot PB) 19.77 knot ave,(year and spot PB) 7.87 knot hour, 16.12 knot mile, 25.09 km., 16.39 knot alpha.

Starboard Freeride 150 and an Evolution Freeride foil with a Naish Nalu 4.25m.

As I haven’t been out since 3rd February I was keen to get out today even though the WSW to W wind was set to gust over 30 knots and I would be sailing a falling tide at Levington but with the temperature going to 15 degrees it was too good an opportunity not to try. Mag had agreed to head over to the marina with lunch on her bike for one so I put my wetsuit on at home and arrived at ten. There was loads of water to launch but sadly the wind was WSW, west is much better here with the wind gusting over 30 knots but the sun was out and the water fairly smooth so I quickly set up my foil and for the first time ever rigged my Naish 4.25m wave sail, never foiled with a sail that small before! I set off around 10.30 into probably the most wind I have foiled in and at times the 4.25 was fraction too big but being a gusty venue, the small sail soon becomes too small but it was great fun doing runs diagonally across the corner, just me and a few birds. Gyblng with a small sail is just so easy and my 10 best alphas were all over 15 knots an surprisingly I broke 20 knots 4 times with a best speed of 21.15 (year and spot PB) with an average of 19.77 (year and spot PB) getting closer to a 20 knot ave. I did not drop in once while gybing which is always pleasing, I did have one sticky moment when my mast extension popped out of my mast base, I had to drift to shallow water to replace it but was soon on my way again. By this time the wind had gone patchy and with a small sail it was a slow beat back but I made it OK and was hoping to see Mag at the van? Sadly, she was not as I was packing up, Jamie who works at the marina came running up saying it was Mag on the line, very sadly she had been knocked off her bike in Felixstowe on a round about by an old lady who said she had not seen her despite Mag wearing a bright yellow fluorescent jacket, some people just should not be driving, she had badly damaged her top lip, teeth and right arm, luckily our son Dan who was working from home just up the road was with her and an ambulance had been called. I thanked Jamie for his help, quickly completed packing up and headed back to Felixstowe still in my wetsuit! Mag was sitting in Dan’s car and looked a real mess, covered in blood. With no sign of the ambulance, we cancelled it and Dan drove her to A & E in Ipswich while I went home to shower and change before heading over to Ipswich Hospital. Mag was nowhere to be seen in A & E so I asked her whereabouts and a very nice man directed me to the Urgent Treatment centre where poor old Mag was having the hole in her top lip sawn back together before the worst bit when they had to reset the break in her lower arm! Dan was absolutely brilliant staying with her the whole time and we cannot fault the amazing service she received from the NHS, the doctors and nurses were wonderful. We left the hospital at 4.45 and drove home with the most amazing sunset, I did have to stop a couple of times to take pics. Sadly this will slow Mag up for a few week, biking is out of the question and we will go out of our way to avoid the roads as much as possible but hopefully Mag can still get out and about walking as she is not great sitting on the settee!

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