Saturday 12^th January – windsurf **** Levington - cloudy.

F2 Xantos 295 with Tushingham Lightning 6.5 and 38 fin.

28.47 knot max., 25.83 knot ave ., 12.55 knot hour, 18.97  knot mile, 45.93 km., 17.22 knot alpha.

Hopefully the first session of a mild and breezy weekend, my third outing already this year and three different venues:) Todays WNW is supposed to be lighter than tomorrow and I would have gone to Point Clear if it was West but with some North in it, I decided to go to Levington on the River Orwell and sail the tide in. With high water at Harwich at 3.33 I was in no hurry to go so left at 11.30 but then all the roads to Levington Marina had road closed signs up due to laying fibre optic cables and with the trailer on I didn’t want to risk trying them and eventually ended up on the outskirts of Ipswich and came in via Nacton adding ten miles to the journey! Parking at my favourite spot by the marina entrance there was enough water to launch but it didn’t look that windy and was shocked when I got gusts to 30mph on the gauge with the wind only very slightly off blowing straight down the river! So, I went with 6.5 again with the 133lt. Xantos to get me through the lulls. Mag was coming down in a couple of hours on her bike but now I had no one to zip me into my winter suit so I had to walk back to through the marina and found someone working on his yacht. Suited with 5mm wetsuit, hat and gloves I was fine especially with the temperature well in double figures:) I could sail straight out of the marina entrance without getting covered in mud and I had no plans for anything today with the river still short of water making the runs short and the wind gusty as usual I just went in search of some fast runs in the river chop! I headed down to the bay and the best wind was in the main river, I tried heading down towards Felixstowe docks but soon ran out of wind so didn’t do that. It was great fun looking for the dark patches of wind and gybing in the flatter water on each side sailing non-stop for well over an hour. I was not as lucky as at Wrabness and feel twice in the first ten minutes but then managed to stay on the board:) Only getting 24 knot average runs but peaking at 28 I decided to beat up to Levington Creek to see if it was windier there and saw the highlight of the day when 50 Avocets flow overhead:) then at the creek I put a huge flock of Lapwings in the air, despite the grey day it is lovely sailing here, I can’t believe more don’t come because as usual I am here out on the water all by myself while others insist on going to the even gustier ‘Pond’ (Alton Water) and have to pay for it too:( Then broad reaching back I increased my average a fraction and then with the wind going NW even more off  making it very patchy I decided to call it a day. Although I had been out the best part of two hours Mag still had not arrived on her bike so I had to find another yacht sailor to unzip me! I had just reached the van again when Mag arrived on her bike covering the 6 miles easily enough despite the head wind, she even took her gloves off as too warm! Our new leisure batteries were pumping hot air in from our diesel heater and I warmed my feet while we had our picnic:) Then I quickly pack up, reverse the trailer out and head for home after another nice sail on the Orwell and tomorrow is looking even milder and windier so I hope to head to Wrabness again for an afternoon session:)

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