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| Owner:
mas Member Member#: 7693 Location: Registered: 29-06-2008 Diary Entries: 381 |
22nd April 2018 Windsurfing: Felixstowe Dip Wind Direction: SSW Wind Stength: F2-3 Surf / Sea State: flat / swell Air Temperature: 23 Sea Temperature: cool Weather: Sunny hot Max Speed: 11kts (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 8.6 nm (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise) After a 6 month layoff due to illness, decided to attempt a sail, as the forecast was a sunny barmy 24 degs in April and F4 wind. The Dip @ Felixstowe was as sunny and hot as El Medano in Tenerife. Caught up with the usual dip crew, Hurrells Squiz Swainey Swanningsong, Mags and Linda. The wind forecast didn't turn up, just a hint of sea breeze. Craig said he was going long board and we all did. Acquired Dave C old F2 380 race and Pete G 9.5 Severne race bd sail. Dreaded rigging it on what was def too stiff a North mast cut down to 530. It nearly broke my North Ratchet extension lever, but it did rig easy and nice which was a relief, as I was knackered just doing that! The Dip beach is now completely covered in gravel to the prom and the drop to the water is now very steep, so will be pretty dangerous at high tides in strong winds. As usual I was last off the beach. The idea was to do the master blaster Dip to Felixstowe docks. Looking at the guys struggling out in a F2 breeze was off putting but gaining at least a stone whilst off, I had to burn up the calories using my TomTom sports watch to raise the bar. Squiz had lost the plot and was drifting badly towards the river even though tide was going towards the beat mark! The Hurrells was high but wallowing so they tacked to come back in. Jumped on the old F2 380 race with a modified RSX dagger board and a 48cm was a revelation. In the light wind and me weighing 105kg it still kicked up on its boxy side and heading towards the beat mark in harness sheeted in! I was making headway towards the docks when others were 20 or more degrees downwind, prob a wind shift. The others tacked way too early as I carried on in the sea breeze wind band way out. Easy tacked had me heading straight to the docks on full plate in straps sheeting in hard. Approaching the Fludyers bend the wind freshened and really needed to pull the outhaul adjuster in - but it only fitted to one side and not my side! Brilliant sail towards the docks just like the good old race bd days. Shame the others guys turned back so soon, as it would have been a good race. I did the same with formula head Dave C and he was racing up and down on close reaches whilst I kept beat straight to the docks on a Phantom, which had to put a second beat in. He just nipped me by 20mtrs and cheated landing early!. There were hundreds of people walking the prom and I was getting very hot in the steamer. Thankfully arrive at the docks in time to jump in and cool down. Saw Craig heading my way but it would have been another 20 mins before he caught up so started the downwind leg back. This is my second F2 380 and also had a 09 Phantom pre- batwing style previously. I can def say the F2 would have stuffed the Phantom to the docks beating, as I normally had to put another tack in with the Phantom. It just does not stick on its rails as well as the boxy sharp railed F2. However the downwind leg is the Achilles heel of the F2. Whereas I blasted off downwind on the Phantom from the docks, the F2 dragged like a toad when stuffed down wind. Had to use half plate and more or less reached out to sea, which mess you up for the finish line at the dip. I fell several times trying to tease it into a broad reach in the swell. The tails just drags and lucky there was a swell to run off. The Phantom would have killed the F2 back. If I only sailed long bds I would def by the new 300L Phantom with batwings, that must be phenomenal off wind as the wings lifts one side. The manor end is a better sail in SSW light winds, as the sea breeze was fresh and I was steaming nicely on the close reach. Using the uphaul to allow the mast forward forced the nose off wind nicely but I was caught a few times in little gusts and face planted. Lucky sail not damaged. After turning the bend at the Fludyers the wind dropped badly to just about a F2 and it was dire getting the F2 off wind. Fell in a few more times. Craig was heading back with me but he was on 8.0 so left him way back. Think Neil and Swanningsong caught up with him and they sailed together. Squiz didn't come. I crawled back in on the last gybe to the steep beach. Great day sailing 10.2 miles and burning 2178 kcals 1hr 46mins with rest at the docks. Heart rate kept an average in fat burn zone @ 104bpm. The F2 / 9.5 Severne is a great setup and is still pretty competitive, but would still buy the latest Phantom 300L. The F2 was travelling between 5 and 11kts (max) in F2_3. It was hard work if you were under powered so it wasn't a great day for most, but a great start for me. Now back to the gym and drop the fat. |
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