3 categories

Everyone was getting excited about the forecast and for once it delivered although the wind was a bit up and down and the sea as usual at Felixstowe was horrendous - huge with chop on chop and we sailed through the worst time too - high water when we ran completely out of beach !!! With still no 7.5 and 4.60m mast I could only rig 6.4 and 8.5 but David Coles saved the day by lending me a mast and while most rigged 6 to 6.6 sails I went for the 7m and for most of the day it was okay and I was never overpowered. As David Coles set up his 9.5 on his formula board I headed out with the aim to beat down the coast while the tide was helping and David soon caught me on his formula kit - no mean feat considering how big the sea was ! I made it just past the Manor Martello tower in about an hour - approx 4/5 miles and with the wind dropping a fraction I decided to return, After a quick stop on the beach I headed back really broad - it's the only way too sail and it irons out the big sea :# I then sat through high water at The Dip as the shore break was big and the sea huge :# I then had another hour but you were beating both ways just to stay in the same spot with the strong tide and the sea was particularly bad very choppy with no nice swell to gybe round - Felixstowe at it's worst :( but not a bad day over two and a half hours out :)

3 categories

Fair number out up to 7m. Rigged 6m/96l hoping wind would climb as forecast, but was variable having OK powered sessions and then light enough to have two walks of shame. Sea was choppy with some nice rollers in places and as tide fell became fairly smooth with some nice rides and turns. Frustrating when wind dropped though. When wind was up 4*, when down 2*, so 3*.