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Tuesday 23rd October – windsurf ***** River Stour, Bradfield– sunny periods.

F2 Ride 282 with Tushingham X-15 7m and 36 fin.

F2 Xantos 310 with Tushingham Lightning 8.5 m and 44 fin.

30.61 knot max ., 28.42 knot ave  ., 15.11 knot hour, 23.38  knot mile, 94.70 km., 17.93 knot alpha

Got back from a lovely trip down South in our campervan just in time for a brilliant days windsurfing on the River Stour at Bradfield:) With high tide around midday we arranged on WhatsApp we get there for 8.30, mag and I got there first just ahead of Neil Hurrell at about nine. It didn’t look very windy and was chilly, so deciding what gear to use, we didn’t want to rig 9.4 as the forecast was NW gusting 30 knots! In the end Neil got off his small formula with 8m, I had my porridge first then rigged 8.5 for my Xantos 310. By the time I had my suit on I know I had rigged too big but with several sailors arriving now I was the Guinee pig! I wobbled off the beach but soon hit the wind band and flew across the river hitting nearly 27 knots not sheeting in!!! Back at the van I stopped Neil heading out with big kit and he rigged 6.9 while I went for my 4 cammed X-15 7m and dropped to the F2 Ride 282. This turned out to be the perfect combination for the day and I was on the water non-stop for at least two hours covering 36 n/miles breaking 30 knots twice:) The flattest water was now and it chopped up as the tide came in especially in the channel but you could fly down the swells but had to take it easy on the way back while heading into some steep chop! I went for a couple of mile runs into Holbrook Bay, great fun, flat out broad, just about as much fun you can have on a windsurf board, in fact I had 9 mile runs over 20 kts not bad for a river venue, several included a gybe! There were some vicious gusts of 30 knots but the 7m handled it no problem, the next thing about the river is the water flattens off each side for some nice gybing or you could just drop in the shallow water for a quick breather. It was a good turnout for a Tuesday at least a dozen on the water having a great time:) Tired and hungry I headed ashore to see Mag who then made a warming cuppa and some delicious egg sandwiches. Mag had had a nice time sorting out a mobile for a pensioner, sorting out pics for her diary and handing out Jellyatrics jelly babies which caused much amusement:) Must were now packing up but it was still windy, the sun was out and the sea had flattened so I decided to head out again and did another 16 n/miles, flying into the bright sun on this beautiful spot. In the end it was just me and local sailor Jamie left on the water, so first on last off the water and a 5 star day for me and most of the others too:) Out of the wetsuit before I got cold, another cuppa then drive the 25 miles home. Might get three days of wind from the North from Friday but will be a tad chilly being lucky to make 10 degrees but hope to get out at least once here at Bradfield¬

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