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Monday 2nd July – windsurf ** The Dip, Felixstowe.  sunny and hot :)

F2 Ride 282 with Tushingham Lightning 7.0 m.

F2 Xantos 295 with Tushingham Lightning 8.5m.

F2 Xantos 310 with Tushingham Lightning 8.5m.

22.54 knot max.,20.36 knot ave., 9.13 knot hour, 18.01 knot mile, 36.90 km., 14.98 knot alpha

My sixth session in a row and its now taking its toll not helped by two poor sessions in a row :( Neil Hurrell and I decided to head to The Dip early to try and make the most of the better sea conditions with the water fairly low and it seemed windy enough early according to Landguard weather station. I arrived at 9.30 with my reading 20 mph and looking to increase I rigged 7m on the 282. Neil went for 7.5 and Michael Galbraith rigged 6.2 on his small board. Sadly, by the time I had my shortie on the wind had dropped, I had one wobbly run in very light airs and lost a couple of groynes not getting near planing once:( Michael came ashore got out his big board and 7.5. Ian Clarke had arrived another lightweight who went for 7.3 but lost even more downwind! Neil also rigged bigger, in the end he used three boards and sails! I nearly packed up and went home as it was going to be a struggle in marginal winds with wind and tide in the same direction! But I decided to leave the small kit rigged and rigged my 8.5 but I tried it for the first time on my Xantos 295 with a big fin. The sail worked OK on this board but again the wind was too light so I went and got the 310 which was marginally better but although planing in patches it was slow and this big board is a pig to gybe:( Also the sea condition was poor as you were sailing directly into short chop, deadly on the knees and no fun at all. I had been trying for a couple of hours and still hadn’t broken 20 knots!!! Then we had a short spell of stronger winds and I switched to the 295 having a few faster runs, enough to get a 20 average with a 22-knot max. I had had enough and started the long task of packing up as Chris Stephen’s arrived and the wind picked up but it was an hour still to high water so I continued de-rigging and headed for home as winds exceeded 20 knots, that’s the way it goes but there is one more windy day tomorrow but where to go and at make time is the question???? As unless the wind is fairly strong so you don’t have to beat both ways slowly in a lumpy mess is no fun at all!! The options for tomorrow are The Dip early and hope its windy, wait until late afternoon but with high water around 4 it doesn’t give you long or go to Bradfield again???? Shame really as that’s two crap sessions in a row but the weather is still fantastic being sunny and hot:)

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