Monday 31st  - Windsurf ** - River Stour at Bradfield – sunny and hot:)

Foil – 16.72 knot max, 15.68 knot ave., 9.90 knot hour, 13.62 knot mile, 40.77 km.,11.62 knot alpha.

Exocet RF AST 91 with Slingshot Hover Glide 76 with Tushingham Lightning 9.4m.

After yesterdays mega 5 star session it was too much to hope for the same again today, a good turn out all hoping for the wind to build and for the most part were disappointed. I have come to the conclusion that for me foiling is not a light wind alternative and for me to have a good day I need 12/20 knots of wind. With very little wind out on the river I rigged my 9.4 for the first time foiling and to be honest it did not work in the really light winds, you could pump up onto the foil but it was exhausting and no fun at all, the only ones who could constantly fly in the light airs where the racers while the freeriders did a lot of slogging back and forth searching for a gust, the answer might be a lightweight board but better still don’t go when the wind is this light! I gave up and went and joined Mag who was spending the afternoon with Linda Hurrell. There was a nice group of people about and we had a chat and most people packed up! Mark Smalling went out for the first time in months to try his new foil, then Neil went out and started to fly as the wind slowly picked up as the tide had now turned! I decided to have one last try and had an OK hour, even managing to get flying a couple of times without pumping! So a long afternoon, first on the water and last off with way too much pumping for my liking!

PS - it has been a good month with 13 sessions sailing 380 miles :)

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