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Tuesday 3rd July – windsurf ***** +++++ The Dip, Felixstowe.  sunny and hot :)

F2 Ride 282 with Tushingham Lightning 7.0 m.

26.02 knot max.,24.85 knot ave., 15.10 knot hour, 20.84 knot mile, 92.70 km., 15.40 knot alpha

After two poor sessions in a row I was keen to have a good one so when I woke at 5.15 I checked the wind, 20 knots at Landguard and windy and sunny all day I decided to get up, have breakfast and head down to The Dip to make the most of the tide. Mag came with me, helpful as she could unlock the gate, it was a beautiful morning as Mag set off on the prom walk home as I checked my wind gauge. With 18/20 I rigged what I first set- up yesterday, my new Tushingham Lightning 7m with my favourite F2 Ride 282 and today it was absolutely perfect from start to finish:) With this being my 7^th session in a row I had no particular plan as a bit knackered but started off going for an hour time to make the most of wind against tide aiming to sail out to the Ferry SC racing bouy past the red and white bouy. The water close in was smooth but big out so not really fast but lovely sailing conditions and I had it all to myself for hours, a couple of kitesurfers had a sort session but the windsurfers didn’t turn up until eleven:( This board is a dream to gybe and it took me an hour to fall in, disappointed with the alpha’s as I was flying around close in right next to the beach and using the big swell out, I must be doing something wrong as cant get a really fast one, must get some advice from the GPS site! I did my usual routine beat out well past the red and white bouy, turn and sail to kite beach then sail broad until the big sea before heading up again. I tried for some fast mile runs but it was difficult to keep the speed up as the sea got bigger out. I was out an hour and a half covering 24 n/miles when I came in for a well-deserved snack being on the water since 7. Slightly refreshed I headed out again to add a few more miles in hope of some company, but no windsurfers in sight on another perfect wall to wall sunshine day, I tried sailing into the flat water in the River Deben where the kiters were but the water is just too shallow so I headed out to sea again. I came in dead on my feet after another hour and was actually going to call it a day until I checked my GPS to discover I had done 34 N/miles so talked myself into trying for 40! So, I went out again by which time the tide had turned and it was a fraction harder staying upwind and you needed to be well powered and the 7m was ideal today. The sea in front of kite beach was now steep short chop which you had to sail slowly through before speeding up. I was actually joined by three windsurfers, Peter Ling, Tom Alexander and Daz and stayed in the end to I had exceeded 50 n/miles and in the end covered 58 miles and Felixstowe doesn’t get any better, looks like no wind now for a week, we have been very lucky here in the East as not much wind elsewhere in the country and my poor old body is in dire need of a rest and my face has never been so brown! So, 7 sessions in 7 days covering 430 km. :)

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