Sunday 21st November - Windsurf **** River Stour at Bradfield – sunny and cold.

Foil – 16.99 knot max, 16.29 knot ave., 13.11 knot hour, 14.93 knot mile, 45.53 km., 12.73 knot alpha.

Exocet RF AST 91 with Slingshot Hover Glide 76 with Tushingham Lightning 7.8m.

With the winds from the north and the temperatures set to drop I was a little nervous of going today as the cold plays havoc with my poor old hands but we woke to lovely sunshine here in Felixstowe, with Rob and Michael heading to the River Stour at Bradfield I decided to man up and join them:) We left home at 9.45 as Mag wanted a ski coat from Lidl, sadly we tried both Lidl’s in Felixstowe and they did not have one so set off for Essex. It is a lovely drive over to Bradfield with the trees in full Autumn colours, we were not expecting the rain enroute but we did get a nice rainbow. I arrived at 11 with Robert and Michael already there and Andrew Twinn already on the water with 7.8 on his fin board but it did not look very windy. We set our foil boards up then rigged, with lightweights Robert going for 6m and Michael 6.5 I had no choice than rig my 7.8. I was actually third foiler out today Robert and Michael beating away first, there was loads of water and it was going to be a high tide today so we had plenty of time. We then spent ages sailing back and forth hoping for a gust, I pumped up a couple of times but the North wind was very light and gusty. With only 5 knots of wind must headed back but I stayed out and eventually I was rewarded as the breeze filled in nicely, lucky really as my hands were beginning to get cold! I then had a really good couple of hours in mostly sunshine doing long runs from Bradfield across Holbrook Bay about two miles. To be honest 6.5 would have been faster and easier but I could not be bothered to head ashore and change, it was also a little up and down, typical with the wind in this direction! There were some big gusts in front of Holbrook school but I was OK as the river was lovely and smooth there:) As for gybing I got a few but turning with a smaller sail is definitely easier but I am improving. In the end I had the whole river to myself and did some shorter runs from the launch beach to Wrabness going for some gybes if the wind was not too strong. Being on the water non-stop for three hours I did not get cold until I went in a couple of times near the end of the session! With the tide turned and the wind dropping it was time to call it a day heading back to the van for some yummy hot homemade butternut squash soup and to see how Mag had got on? She had gone for a lovely walk, had a birthday phone call from my Dad who is 92 today and a good catchup with our boys, so a top day was had by both of us, maybe I will do it all again tomorrow.

We were last to leave the field and had a lovely journey home with the sun setting behind us. I then watched the English Ladies Rugby team play the USA off the park, Ladies Rugby is great so entertaining and the men won too beating the World Champions by a single point:)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=stephen.squirrell.1&set=a.10222650430462087