Team East (Engl-E, Great Britain) - 2020-07-25
Sailor 2 Second Peak (Kts)5 x 10 Second Average (Kts)1 Hour (Kts)Alpha Racing 500m (Kts)Nautical Mile (Kts)Distance Travelled (km)
Stephen Squirrell
24.96(D)
23.63(D)
16.54(D)
15.27(D)
20.65(D)
56.29(D)
Ian Richards
Peter Cutts
Lance Newbery
Ben Tilston
Hotdog
Jamie Bore
Tris Haskins
Rik Jones
benno
Will Trossell
Steve Carter
Trollope
Whitey
plum
matty
Ant
Venga Boy
tccambs
Killer Miller
Alex Lewin
Lewis Limm
Average
Stephen Squirrell (34966km):
1343 days ago
6 categories

Saturday 25th July- Windsurf ***** - The Manor, Felixstowe – mainly cloudy.

 

Exocet RF 91 AST with Slingshot Hover Glide 76 with Tushingham Lightning 6.5m.

 

Foil – 17.92 knot max, 15.20 knot ave ., 8.62 knot hour, 12.67 knot mile, 21.36 km., 0.00 knot alpha.

 

With a fresh SW forecast for today my first thought was Point Clear but with a late afternoon high tide and rain coming in the afternoon I decided in the end to stay local and drive the mile and a half to The Manor in Felixstowe. I arrived around 9.15 with Andy M and Paul S already there both setting up their foils with a good cross shore wind already blowing, cloudy but no rain! Andy was rigging his 5.8 while foiling newcomer Paul was going for 5.6 I decided on my 6.5 but was a little worried it would be too big with the winds set to increase during the day! Andy was first to leave the beach and set off to Bawdsey beach just over four miles up the coast. Then it was my turn and I pretty much know straight away I had rigged too big and should have gone for my 6m but I stuck with it and nervously set off after Andy. I had some OK runs downwind with the wind a little lighter closer to the beach but there were some big gusts coming through and the sea was now very challenging picking up big very quickly! I made it to The Dip where there had been several kitesurfers out early making the most of the low tide flat water in the River Deben. There was only a couple now out as I now headed up using the red and white bouy my turning mark! The first leg of the beat was fine, flying nicely but on tacking I now hit a very big sea head on with the wind now gusting to 25 knots. The sail was OK but keeping the board flying consistently in such a big sea is hard so after bearing off to get some speed I just skimmed the board upwind most of the time which works fine and you can still sail high into the wind! I managed to get back in three tacks and headed ashore with the idea of changing down to continue foiling as Andy was still out foiling with race foiler David Coles out on his huge new board and 8m, just don’t see the fun in sailing gear that big in these conditions!

 

F2 282 Ride with Tushingham X-15 7m and 38 fin Tushingham Lightning 6.5m.

 

Fin – 25.19 knot max, 23.62 knot ave ., 16.53 knot hour, 20.64 knot mile, 40.00 km., 15.26 knot alpha.

 

In the end I decided against rigging another sail and went and got my much loved F2 Ride 282 for some fin sailing as I haven’t done much of that lately and there were several now out on fins having a blast! The 6.5 was pretty much perfect for the 115lt. and I went for my usual hour by making long runs out towards Wadgate post. Ten runs out is approximately an hour which is what I did and certainly got the best of the conditions. I had most fun out on the Manor break, there is a sand bank running from the post about half a mile back towards the shore and around mid-tide you get an area of small waves with a nice area of flattish water downwind, ideal for some nice gybe practice:) My top speed and average were a little disappointing but it is hard on your back leg trying to go fast every run so I took it easy and in the end got an OK hour. So, after covering 24 miles in 70 minutes it was time to call it a day and head ashore. There were several out today including four Slingshot foils on a variety of foil boards, it is defiantly taking off big style here in Felixstowe and is so much more than a light wind option! More wind for tomorrow too, so back the The Manor or if too offshore there is always Levington in the afternoon to catch the tide. I managed to get home, have lunch and do my back exercises before the rain arrived, another top day here in Felixstowe with the weather much better than expected, the sun even managed to show its face a few times:)

 

https://www.facebook.com/stephen.squirrell.1/media_set?set=a.10219139917741463&type=3

 

http://mkwindsurfing.co.uk/booms/

 

https://www.77sports.co.uk/

 

 



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