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 Thursday 29th November – windsurf *** Levington – cloudy and mild.

F2 Ride 277 with Tushingham X-15 5.8 and 30 fin.

27.91 knot max., 25.62 knot ave ., 13.47 knot hour, 22.79  knot mile, 32.60 km., 15.96 knot alpha.

Storm Diana continues with even more wind forecast today, the even closed the Orwell Bridge again, they never used to close it when the wind blow!!! Sailing options were a bit limited, an early morning session at Southend or a late afternoon one at Point Clear or join the wave heads at The Dip but it’s the wrong time of year to go out to sea especially in winds gusting over 30 knots! So, after a nice chat with Peter Cutts on the phone I headed over to Levington again arriving about midday. The tide was still fairly low but the on-shore wind was gusting over 30 knots so rigged my high wind sail, the X-15, 5.8 for the F2 Ride 277, a 100-litre board which is quite small for gusty river sailing! I then had a nice chat with James a foiler who works at the marina, I think he was in for a fairly quiet day as it was too windy to take the yachts out of the water! By the time I found someone to zip me in my wetsuit there was plenty of water in the Orwell. I set off up river towards Ipswich and it was interesting with some huge gusts and river chop which made for an interesting session! You could sail parallel to the bank and were often in your depth which makes this a very safe sailing option:) It was too windy to go fast as it chopped up but you could plan nearly to Pin Mill and it got flatter up river too, that’s the farthest I have ever sailed a small board! I had several long runs from Levington bay to nearly Pin Mill trying for some speed runs down the swells but was a bit slower than yesterday but the average was a fraction fast as was the mile! With the wind switching angle slightly and dropping I decided to call it a day especially with my left elbow playing up :( Might have tomorrow off windsurfing as I have had 10 sessions in November, 78 for the year so been fairly good so far and save myself for a session in December at the weekend if the rain stays away!

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