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Friday 3rd July – windsurf *** - The Manor, Felixstowe – sunny periods.

Wind – wsw – 15 to 25

F2 282 Ride with Tushingham Lightning 6.5m and 38 fin.

Fin – 26.32 knot max, 24.80 knot ave ., 11.38 knot hour, 21.36 knot mile, 37.80 km., 14.35 knot alpha

After a 5 Star early morning Two Rivers bike ride which left me time to do my exercises in the garden then lunch before unwrapping my brand new Exocet 91 Foil board, my first new board for 30 years! I fitted the foot straps and nose protector and can’t wait to give it a try when the winds calm down a little! With people now at The Manor it is time to head down to The Manor at two and manage to get a parking space for my van and trailer:) Several are watching as the two Hurrell boys Lee and Craig head out wit 6.5 sails. With the wind cross off it is a bit of guess work choosing the right sail? The Hurrells seem to have got the sail right so I set up my F2 Ride 282 (115 lt) with my Tushingham Lightning 6.5. Shortie on it was time to set off, a bit of a shadow close in but you soon hit the wind where it was quite windy but you then sailed straight out into some very steep chop and out by the shipping channel the wind dropped. The difficult run out was made up by the nice run in over a mile running up and down the swells with keeping upwind no problem:) I tried some broad runs but it was hard to go fast and the wind was a little up and down but considering it was cross off that is to be expected! I beat up a few groynes and the sea state improved slightly and in the end the wind picked up, gusting to 25 knots and after 23 mainly bumpy miles and with 2/3 windy days to come it was time to call it a day. A good crowd for a Friday afternoon and the weather was better than forecast with loads of sun:) Looks like a trip over to Essex tomorrow to give Point Clear another try, fingers crossed it is not too crowded and weedy! The new foil board will have to wait to get wet!

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