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squiz
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Member#: 7874 Location: Registered: 23-08-2008 Diary Entries: 0
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11th July 2016
Windsurfing: The Ray-Southend Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: flat Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny periods Max Speed: 36.52 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 28.50 (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
It looked good for Southend and as I haven't been to a proper speed venue
since last December with 30 kt. sessions in short supply! As I have been
windsurfing for the last 4 days in some challenging conditions I decided to
leave my speedboard at home and just took my Falcon 80 with three sails,
5.2,5.8 & 6.4, I also had Mags bike aboard as she was coming for a day out
in Southend. Being sailable until approx. 2:30 we left Felixstowe at 7 but
the traffic especially approaching Southend was heavy but I was rigging by
9. Ian Richards was already there rigged and ready for the walk, it was
good to catch up and he said it looked windy, rigging 5.4 on his
speedboard. My 5.2 needs a huge amount of wind so took a chance with the
5.8. As it was cloudy with a chance of rain I left off the shortie of the
last few days and went for the full suit, a wise decision. The dreaded walk
out was not too bad as the tide was still fairly high and I could put my
board in the water but I had to gingerly feel for the slippery wooden
bridge as it was submerged and there is a plank missing! I arrived safely
at the creek and sailed to the channel, with the wind wsw we were using the
east run towards the pier. I was greeted by a bopping seal with his family
on the far sandbank including a pup who spent most of the session
watching:) It was particularly light, with getting going and sailing back
upwind not easy, the wind was very up and down the whole time and seemed
pretty guttless:( It was still good fun and great to be back on flat water,
I caught a few nice gusts and was pleased with my 36kt max and an OK ave as
I was under alot of the time. I had some great fun gybing and did a few
planning gybes with max speeds in excess of 30kts and thought I might get a
PB but just missed it! Ian had battern trouble and had to change to 5.8, he
just loves that walkand seemed to be flying on his small board. I had been
out for 5 hours and the wind had dropped, with the tide now turned it was
only going to chop up so decided to call it a day. The long walk back with
achey arms is hard and I was knackered but I was pleased to find Mag
sitting by the wall on the rigging green reading her book with the sun now
out:) She had made a nice salad lunch as she told me of her day, biking 12
miles to Shoeburyness, fine going but much harder coming back into a
headwind! I met some nice sailers out on the water and enjoyed my day in
Essex. After packing up we had a drive to where Mag biked with seceral
sailers now out at Thorpe Bay and kiters going out at Shoeburyness which is
a reaally great place. Again traffic was heavy near Southend and the
dreadful A12 but Mag did most of the driving back so I could doze, fingers
crossed no more wind for a few days! Checked Felixstowe for windsurfers and
several had been out at the Fludgers including speed buddy Peter Cutts:)
Not the best speeds but a good day none the less:)
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