6 categories

Sunday 1st September– Windsurf **** - Levington – sunny.

Foil – 19.69 knot max., 16.48 knot ave., 5.37 knot hour, 9.66 knot mile, 30 km., 9.36 knot alpha.

Starboard Formula and Slingshot Hover Glide F/Wind with Tushingham Lightning 7.8.

After one of my best foiling sessions yesterday I was keen to get out again today especially as it’s first of the month and we are going away in the van so won’t be near any water for a few days! After taking the skin off my chin yesterday when I hit the bottom with my foil my first thought was have the day off to give it a chance to heal as I had a bandage on it all night! Then after doing my exercises in the garden it was such a nice sunny day and with several foilers going to The Stour at Bradfield the better venue with the wind WNW but I had left it too late to go there so after a trip to Homebase to get some paint on offer I hitched the trailer and headed over to Levington. I arrived at the marina at 12.30 with the water already very high and the wind a fraction off from the right gusting over 15mph so after setting up the foil board I went for my 7.8. After carefully putting my shortie over my leg I set off easily out across the River Orwell and being sods law the wind had dropped. So as with all river sailing I spent the session gust watching and after a few slow runs back and forth when I started to get a few gusts and was up and flying carrying on where I left off yesterday:) You had to be alert to avoid the moored boats and the many yachts sailing up and down which made it very interesting! I found a section opposite Levington Creek clear of boats so had loads of runs here and it must have taken me an hour before I fell in and that only happened when the wind really picked up, gusting to 20 knots!! I had some runs sailing by the seat of my pants not sheeting in at all, flying like a pro one-minute swimming the next!!! Some runs I felt really in control while others I was contorted into some weird positions, one minute I needed 8.5 the next 6.5 so it kept you on your toes. Again, I was trying to sail different angles up and down then when I got some steadier wind I tried to gybe! Well that’s a manoeuvre which guarantees some interesting dismounts but I did manage some OK turns not flying all the way but pleasing none the less:) Things were going really well as I returned from up river to sail in front of the marina entrance but with the tide now whizzing out the wind went really light and I had to do 15 short runs to get back! It would have been 5 Stars if the wind was steadier and I didn’t have a struggle to get back but great fun none the less and I am at last improving!

 https://www.facebook.com/stephen.squirrell.1/media_set?set=a.10216547135443526&type=3

 http://mkwindsurfing.co.uk/booms/

 https://wetndryboardsports.com/windsurf/windsurf-foils/slingshot-hover-glide-fwind-windsurf-foil-2019.html?SID=810929ee0d3d94236235c95d49103b2f