Sunday 29th August - Windsurf ***** River Stour at Bradfield – sunny start then cloudy.

Foil – 19.11 knot max, 17.85 knot ave ., 11.78 knot hour, 16.12 knot mile, 54.32 km ., 13.56 knot alpha.

Exocet RF AST 91 with Slingshot Hover Glide 76 with Tushingham Lightning 8.5m.

Walk **** Bradfield circuit.

Was going to have a day off despite the north wind continuing to blow with no sign of it ending but I have already been to Bradfield 3 times this week! Then Jason messaged on the WhatsApp group asking who was heading to the Stour, Neil, Robert and James said they were going which then set the seed in me and as it was such a nice day we decided to head over yet again! With high water late afternoon, we were in no hurry so did my exercises in the garden with the sun actually out and Mag had time for a trip to Lidl and potter in her garden. Leaving Felixstowe just after midday being first to arrive at one parking up enjoying our lunch with lovely river views being in no hurry to get out on the river as the tide was low and the wind was very light so Mag and I decided to go for a walk. Heading through Ragmarsh Farm Campsite and up the lane to the main road and back to Bradfield village stopping to pick some blackberries before returning across the fields back to the van with Robert and James now rigging but the wind was still light with a few better gusts coming through.

Foil *****

So, after the pleasant walk I decided to have a flounder on the river so set up the foil and rigged my 8.5 with Robert going for 7.5 and James setting up his new enormous Patrick foil board with a spanky Starboard race foil and 9.3 sail, a big sail for a lightweight sailor! Robert and I waded out at 3 with no great expectations and things lived up to that for a start as we sailed up and down the river waiting for a gust, flying in patches. Then as if by magic the wind really filled in with gusts to 20 knots and I ended up having one of my best sessions on the Stour, really fast for me on the old Slingshot foil, my gybing is improving slowly helped by a chat with James Christopher yesterday, can’t wait to try with a smaller sail which will be easier but am entering the gybe much faster just need to sort out when to switch my feet! Robert was going fast and his gybing in also coming along well and as for James he was super-fast, how he was using a sail nearly a metre bigger than me! I had a top run half way to Parkstone with several runs through the mooring, such great fun buzzing the yachts and have never felt so comfortable going fast broad actually sheeted in for a change:) I did go in the water a couple of times and started to get cold as was only wearing my shortie so decided to call it a day having done nearly 34 miles making it 436 miles for the month from 15 sessions, August has been a top month despite the lack of sunshine!

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