Owner:
squiz
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Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3070
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28th April 2021
Windsurfing: Bradfield Wind Direction: NE Wind Stength: 10/25 Surf / Sea State: river chop and smooth Air Temperature: 11 Sea Temperature: Weather: cloudy Max Speed: 18.66 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 36.25 mile (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
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?
PS - got a couple of PB's today - best foil alpha and spot hour :)
Photo Gallery Here
MK booms here
77 Sports (Exocet) Here
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