Wednesday 26th October - Windsurf **** - Point Clear in Essex – sunny periods.

Foil – 18.84 knot max, 14.18 knot ave., 5.34 knot hour, 15.56 knot mile, 26.17 km., 14.18 knot alpha.  

Starboard Freeride 150 and a Evolution Freeride foil with a Tushingham Thunderbird 6.5m.

Fin – 25.55 knot max, 22.80 knot ave ., 10.06 knot hour, 18.63 knot mile , 26.39 km ., 17.29 knot alpha.

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

Mag and I actually had a tip into deepest Essex today, diving the 40 miles to Point Clear, our first visit there since 20/10/2021, over a year. We used to do thousands of miles in our lovely little campervan but since covid we have become verry content not to stray too far from Felixstowe, certainly not helped by what a nightmare the roads can be and to today was no different with a broken-down lorry just outside Felixstowe on the A 14 causing delays. We were lucky only being held up for ten minutes arriving at the green at Point Clear at ten past ten with Roger and Neil sitting on a bench waiting for the wind to fill in. We parked out of the way at the end as I expect it was going to get fairly busy especially being a lovely sunny day then going over for a catch-up chat. There were already loads of water but the wind was very up and down, Neil and Roger were hoping to fin so were in no hurry but it looked good for foiling so I went and set that up and took a chance with my 6.5 hoping to use it on my fin board later? I was just pipped to being first on the water by a winger, the first of many it has certainly has taken off at 11.15. The wind was pretty light as I slowly beat out of the bay but it did pick up nicely and I had some good uns over to East Mersea. Mag got some nice pics as she set off on a circular walk as a massive black cloud appeared, we even had a few spots of rain! I thought the wind would pick up strong but it went the other way and I had a slow beat back against the tide:( I was pleased to land as I had fallen on my last gybe and lost both lenses from my prescription sunglasses so came ashore at the Brightlingsea end of the beach and walked back to the van for a chat with Mag who had had a nice walk spotting a kestrel. With the tide coming in I had to move my board but not before a quick word with Shaun Cook and Dave White who reliably informed the wind would pick up in half an hour, he was right! There was enough wate to sail along the beach and I then had a good run out to sea as the wind picked up, Shaun was absolutely whizzing along on his foil kit. I now had about 2m too much sail making foiling challenging, even the fin sailors were going now! So, I headed into the lagoon to search of some flatter water but the wind had too much south in it to make it good there as you had to beat in, making the runs really short and I was nervous foiling in the lagoon as was not sue how deep it was? So, I came ashore and walked back to the van to get my fin board, it was a bit of a hike back too! At this point the day was not going great with the wind all over the place coming from the wrong direction and it did not get any better as I struggled to get going on the fin board, there was more wind on the fa side of the lagoon but I could not get there! I then had a nice run the length of Point Clear beach and decided to keep going, after just missing the sea wall I sailed past Brightlingsea and a mile or so up the River Colne, definitely my favourite bit of Point Clear, just me and a boat trawling for oysters just brilliant:) With the tide now going out I know I should get back OK but it really gets rough as the water whizzes out but I sailed fairly slow until the conditions calmed down and gybed over by the lagoon and headed over to East Mersea and boy was the sea huge over by the island. I gybed by the island and survived the sail back; it certainly was exciting!  I then walked over the shingle bank to the lagoon which was now empty as everyone had packed up, it was now super flat with the wind maybe now SW. I had a few runs across the lagoon gybing in font of the van before calling it a day. Wetsuit off it was time to have a late lunch and cuppa enjoying the lovely sunny view from the van with Mag as the carpark emptied. So not too bad a day in the end despite the dodgy wind managing 16 miles on both foil and fin:)

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