Sunday 8th August - Windsurf ********** – sunny periods.

Fin – 28.64 knot max, 27.03 knot ave., 16.68 knot hour (year PB), 24.02 knot mile (year PB), 98.22 km (Year PB).,19.00 knot alpha (year PB).

F2 282 Ride with Tushingham Thunderbird 6.5m and 36 fin.

The fourth day of wind and after a couple of poor sessions in a row I was not too sure what to do today was tempted to go to Levington but didn’t fancy another day of gusty winds and have not been too keen on traveling of late but bit the bullet and headed over to Point Clear for the first time in 9 months. I was not sure about going there on a Sunday because it can get really busy especially being a weekend but with a 20 to 30 knot SW forecast and a 1.08 high water it was too good an opportunity to miss, Mag even came along for the day something she has not been doing of late! We were again first to arrive on the Green at 9.45 with 25 knots of wind and enough water to sail, to be honest people were surprisingly slow to arrive, Roger Vickers was next to arrive looking very well and sporting a col beard to go with his new Harley Davidson motorbike, it was good to see people we have not seen in ages and had a good catch up with Roger. There is a new shingle bar forming across the entrance to the lagoon but that causes no problems once the tide comes in. Time to get some gear out, I set up both my F2 Rides, the 282 and 277 rigging my favourite sail the Tushingham Thunderbird 6.5, no cams for me today I just wanted simple, no fuss sailing which is exactly what I got today and there are not enough stars to tell how good today was, certainly my best fin session of the year by far with an ear to ear smile all day:) I was first to set sail, heading straight into the lagoon and I certainly didn’t need any more sail. Nothing overly fast just get fun blasting in the flat water, quiet to start before the kiters arrived meaning you had to keep your eyes open because they still do not loo behind before jumping and as for gybing it was probably my best ever day getting at least 18 knot alphas, the lagoon is the perfect spot to perfect your gybing skills! I was worried there might be a weed problem but it was fin and only had to stop once to remove weed and I ended up getting a year PB for the hour, the only thing missing was some sunshine which was in short supply but at least we had no rain today! With the tide now approaching high and the lagoon getting lumpy I decided to try for a mile run starting right at the bottom of the lagoon I sailed past Tony’s fishing boat and continued sailing close to the shore by the beach houses, just missing a couple of old windsurfers tied to bouys, through the bumpy water in front of Brightlingsea, just getting past the tower where you are in a bit of a shadow of east Mersea but I find the wind just in time sailing close to the bank up the Colne ending up by the Fingringhoe nature reserve. It is so good up the River Colne and can’t understand why more don’t sail up here and I had it all to myself as I beat closer to the firing range side where the water is the flattest going for a fast mile and getting another year PB:) It is so good up here, top for foiling too that I did three really long runs before heading back, past three wingers in the rough water at Brightlingsea continuing past the lagoon but on the sea side before heading back to the van for lunch with Mag after covering around 40 miles none stop enjoying every minute! Mag must be psychic as she had just made my yummy gammon sandwich as I arrived back. Rested and with the tide now dropping meaning you often get the best conditions made even better by the fact that most people had packed up and, in the end, I had another hour or so being the only windsurfer out a lot of the time with only 2/3 kiters too. Making you feel much safer too! Running out of water now, I did sail into the mud once so decided to call it a day just missing out on a 100 km. but making a year’s best 61 miles with three other year PB’s, best hour, alpha and mile so the perfect day. Had a cuppa and cake with Mag in the van who had also enjoyed her day before heading for home. There is some lighter wind forecast so I might head to Levington to continue working on my foiling gybes, I will see in the morning!
I think everyone here had a top day, well apart from Bradfield James who drove over to foil but left his mast at home so had to leave:(

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