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Friday 7^th September – windsurf *** Levington – sunny but a bit chilly.

F2 Xanto 310 with Tushingham Lightning 8.5 and 44 cm fin.

25.01 knot max., 22.52 knot ave., 10.70 knot hour, 17.36 knot mile, 49.90 km., 12.55 knot alpha.

Came back from 5 great nights away in the campervan biking a canal and the River Thames with three looking after Arlo our lovely whirlwind Grandson Arlo. I was originally hoping to get to Point Clear but the wind forecast as usual dropped turning the week and after a crap journey home yesterday on the horrendous M25 and A12 I didn’t want to go too far today but with the wind WNW it meant Levington was the best option and with high water being 10.18 in meant an early start as it’s best sailing the River Orwell with the tide coming in! I arranged with Neil Hurrell down in Felixstowe in his caravan that I hoped to be at the marina by eight in the morning, a phone call this morning confirmed that it was on despite the wind looking a little light but it was a nice sunny day so I decided to give my new trailer it’s first run out:) Mag made me a sandwich while I had my breakfast and I arrived at Levington at 7.45. I had 19 mph on the small beach but it didn’t look windy on the water but rigged 8.5 on the big Xantos as Neil arrived. We were on the water by 8.30 and despite the sunshine it was for the first time in awhile it was a bit nippy on the hands! It was patchy on the water especially being WNW a fraction off. In the end I was out for two and a half hours nearly non-stop. I have to be honest it was up and down but it was good fun trying for a 20 knot average and in the end I was surprised to get a 25 knot max! Gybing wasn’t always easy as you often sailed out of the wind either side of the river so tacked a lot. I only went in a couple of times as I fluffed a tack in shallow water. An oil tanker going to Ipswich had to be given a wide berth and there are now more waders about, a sign that winter is just around the corner! Neil started with his 130 lt but soon changed to his small formula which was much better. The wind did increase and we had some OK runs mainly sailing across the river near Levington creek. I had one run down to Felixstowe docks but then struggled to beat back to the van as the tide had turned and the wind eased! When we had packed up the wind had picked up but we had lost the water! The weekend is looking promising for some windsurfing, perhaps even a trip to Point Clear, fingers crossed!

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