Saturday 8th October – Windsurf *** La Franqui – sunny and warm
32.96 kts max, 31 kt ave., 29.56 n/mile, 19.18 alpha, 45.4 km.
F2 282 (115 lt), Fanatic Falcon 80, Tushingham X-15 7 and 6.4m

I haven’t been windsurfing for 41 days and I am really looking forward to sailing again with 4 days of wind forecast and La Franqui lets me down again :(
With a large film crew blocking the track to our usual spot overlooking Port la Nouvelle we found a nice spot nearer les Cabanes. We had a disturbed night with the sound of the wind but when we got up it was really light, just making a lot of noise!!! Cool sunrise, early breakfast, then off to Sigean to stop outside the dechettrie (rubbish dump) to take the boards off the roof as It’s next to impossible on the windy beach. Arrive at the wooden jetty with half dozen cars of mainly freestylers and one foil board, but the wind was very light, gusting 12 kts :( So rigged the 7m and went out on the F2 Ride (115lt) and that seemed OK although the wind was very up and down. With the wind too inconsistent for anything, no good speeds today I decided to try for a mile run as my fastest this year is only 23 kts and the beach was clear - the fisherman that was there when we arrived had packed up – lucky as I nearly came to blows with a fisherman the last time I was here with Patrick Deporter calming things down :) The mile run is marked by the white board on the beach but also by a wooden post and large block of polystyrene from a fishing boat so you couldn’t miss it! Got down there fine - not fast but good fun.  Then things went wrong on the return, I was actually planing upwind when I thought the water ahead looked shallow for my 38 cm. fin - Then I came to an abrupt stop flying through the air, cricking my neck and shearing the arm right off my North boom ( I think it has a 2 year warranty – fingers crossed). I then had to walk back nearly a mile – great start to the day :( I then rigged my 6.4 as the wind had filled in a little with the 80 lt Fanatic Falcon but that board was way too small and with the wind broad it was impossible to get back upwind without going miles out to sea.  I just don’t trust my gear to do that anymore! I then stopped for lunch with Mag who was having a nice time knitting and reading in the sun while watching many windersurfer’s dogs have fun. I then put a smaller fin in the F2 and headed out again spending a lot of time on the Port la Nouvelle side of the jetty but the wind was still really bad, flying one-minute wallowing the next:( Another problem occurred when my adjustable out haul broke way out to sea so I had to lay in the warm water to fix that! 
Then it was back to the La Franqui side for a few mile runs with Mag having a walk and now on the water’s edge with the camera - she got some nice pics:) There were several out today perhaps people are coming here as there is now a 2m height barrier at the new entrance to the north beach at Port la Nouvelle and limited parking :( mainly hop, skip, jumpers practising their tricks with the odd kiter.
So yet another average day at La Franqui, I think you have to sail 6 days to get one good one and it’s such a long way to come and not have a good sail.  We have been having great fun for a month out on our mountain bikes and windsurfing always seems to spoil a good holiday – this might be our last trip down here and my love of speedsailing is definitely on the wane!
Try to tie my big board on the roof to leave – it’s a nightmare sailing out of our lovely little campervan – when a gust takes it right over the van!!! With a little help from Mag I get it secured, chuck everything else inside and head off the beach a little deflated:( A restock at Sigean Lidl and back to our spot on the Etang overlooking the cement works(!) de-sand the van and wash and am feeling better already. More wind forecast tomorrow let’s hope the wind is a better angle and more consistent and my bad back doesn’t play up too much!