Saturday 19th  April  – Windsurf **** The Stour at Wrabness  –  sunny periods.

Foil – 19.13  knot max, 18.25 knot ave., 12.59  knot hour, 16.21 knot mile, 54.26 km (year PB)., 14.95 knot alpha.

Starboard Freeride 150 and a Evolution Freeride foil with a Tushingham Storm 6.5.

After yesterdays coastal cruising at Felixstowe in a SE, today the wind swung round to the ENE so I was not sure what to do, then I learned that a friend of many years Mark Smalling was heading over to Bradfield for his first foil for awhile so I decised to go to Wabness but sadly did not get to speak to ‘Biggy’ :( With high water on the Stour around 4 and with people heading over between 1 and 2 I decided to aim to arrive at Wrabness at 12.30 as parking is  limited, after travelling back from Devon Mag did not fancy a trip into deepest Essex to work in the garden. I parked easily and was joined by Simon Chippington a winger and we set up, I went for a 6.5 sail and Chippers a 5.5 wing. The tide was still fairly low as we launched just after 1.30, the river was still pretty flat and to be honest I was a little overpowered and could have easily been on 5.5! I was having a nice time sailing slowly downwind towards Bradfield where there were a few cars with a variety of foilers, wingers and fin sailers waiting for the tide to come in! It was cool sailing broad down the Stour doing long runs across the river. I decided to continue to Mistley which turned out to be a mistake, on gybing around the green bouy marking the quay entry I promptly ran aground in the mud and wasted aged walking to deeper water. I then turned at the bouy again and beat across the river and ran aground again!!!! I wasted even more time walking slowly to deeper water, really knackering too! I then started the long beat back which was great fun where I was tacking to gain more upwind. I made it to the large metal post making deep water opposite Wrabness on the Suffolk side then when gybing I hit probably another fish my second in two days and went off the front again and hurt my foot as it got stuck in the strap! I had a few nice runs across the wide section out with a fin sailor who was struggling to get going, I think he needs a foil! I was pretty shattered after sailing over 30 miles so slowly packed up and headed for home – top afternoon despite running aground twice!

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