Big Wednesday 28th April - Windsurf **** - River Stour at Bradfield – cloudy and chilly.

Foil – 18.66 knot max, 17.47 knot ave., 12.61 knot hour (spot PB), 15.61 knot mile, 58.20 km.,13.78 knot alpha (PB).

Exocet RF AST 91 with Slingshot Hover Glide 76 with Tushingham Lightning 7m.

Was looking forward to BIG Wednesday with a good NE forecast and a 1.26 high water at Mistley it looked ideal for another trip across the border to Bradfield on the Stour. I had my second covid jab today at my local heath centre, the Grove here in Felixstowe, they have been absolutely brilliant and we can’t fault the service. It seemed the day for a few windsurfers to be done as Ian Clarke, Chris Stephens and Neil Hurrell were all done today:) I was home from my injection at 9.45 and Mag had already packed lunch so we loaded the van and set off, arriving second at Bradfield at 10.30. The field soon filled up and it was a cracking turn out for a mid-week session, both fin and foil plus a few wing sailors too. With cross on winds gusting to 20 mph it was probably not windy enough to fin so I set up my foil board and rigged my favourite foil sail, the Tushingham Lightning 7m which I have used in winds to 25 knots. I also got my Xantos 133lt board ready just in case the wind really picked up but, in the end, I did not use it! Left Mag in the van, she had a nice day relaxing, reading her book, ringing a friend and going for a long walk as I disappeared down the Stour for three hours! With lots of water in the river it did not take long to walk out to deep water and I was soon flying across in winds that must have been approaching 25 knots but the good thing about this venue is you can sail out of the strongest wind which helps when you want to turn around! I soon reached Wrabness and then enjoyed some really long runs across towards Hobrook school and then you could beat nearly straight down the middle of the river towards Parkstone quay. You then had a near two mile run back across the river just playing with the swell. I have found it difficult to go really fast here due to the river swell and did not want to push too hard as it was still chilly on the hands and I tried to keep out of the water. As for gybes, I can get around sadly not flying all the way yet but fingers crossed it will come one day as it definitely increases your flying time and the distance you travel. It is a beautiful huge area to sail with only four of us enjoying it, me, Andy, Michael and Robert who ventured up here for the first time and loved it:) I then had some super broad runs back, soon reaching the launch beach. I then carried on towards Mistley and had the fastest runs of the day in probably the smoothest water of the day. Getting pretty knackered now I beat back and called it a day. Dave White was on the beach with his big lens mainly taking pics of the wing sailors, still not convinced about that but each to his own. Out of the wetsuit and diesel heater on I soon warmed up having lunch with Mags. I might have to do it all again tomorrow as a moderate northerly is forecast, colder but the last wind for a few days so I might have to brave it for another foil?

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