Tuesday 8th January – windsurf **** Wrabness – sunny periods.

F2 Xantos 295 with Tushingham Lightning 6.5 and 38 fin.

27.40 knot max., 25.14 knot ave ., 16.59 knot hour, 20.32  knot mile, 53.50 km., 15.73 knot alpha.

After yesterdays washout when the mild forecast WSW failed to arrive in time to sail, I was keen to get out today to post some proper speeds.  My first session of the year at Alton Water a week ago was in fairly light winds.  The only trouble was with the wind swinging round to NW the temperature was dropping to 7 degrees.  This put most people off as lots use 10 degrees as the minimum so only a few sailors braved the conditions today.   Michael Galbraith went foiling at Alton and I arranged on WhatsApp to meet Simon Chippington at Wrabness. I checked the wind at Landguard weather station first thing and it was looking marginal and with my 8.5 still at the repair loft I hummed and harred but as it was a nice sunny day so I decided to drive the 26 miles to Wrabness.  Bradfield is out of action because the farmer who lets the windsurfers park by the river has blocked the entrance for the time being as he has had trouble with local oafs joy riding and setting fire to his straw bales! Sadly, the world is full of idiots who spoil things for the majority:( You can still park at the end of Bradfield lane but with a very high tide forecast and flood warnings issued I was never going to park there especially with a trailer.  I headed a bit further to Wrabness. This is probably a better spot to sail from as it is possible to launch earlier as you are closer to the deep-water channel; the only trouble is turning is a little tight and there is only room for half a dozen cars at most. We were surprised when arriving at 11 that Simon was not there but on looking over the sea wall, I spotted him launching at Bradfield! The tide had already covered all the beach with two hours left until high water and with wind gusting to 27 mph and not feeling cold I decided to give a try. In the summer I would have rigged 7m but being winter went with 6.5 on the floaty 295 to get me through the lulls. With winter suit, hat and gloves on, Mag zipped me in and I was off! As I did well last year on hour sailed, my aim was to try for an hour today hoping I would be warm enough to last. I had checked on Google Earth yesterday for the distance across the river here in this direction and worked out I needed to sail 7/8 runs with legs of just over two miles. I then sailed non-stop for 7 runs in this beautiful spot with the sun out and the impressive Holbrook school on the far bank:) There was way too much water in the River Stour to sail fast but it was great fun and the hands were not getting cold until right at the end.  The temperature was helped by the fact I only dropped in a couple of times! As with all river sailing the wind was a little up and down but you could stay on the plain most of the time but going broad was challenging in the steep chop. With 7 runs across complete I stopped to check my GW-60 (gps watch) and had done enough for a OK session so decided on one more run before calling it a day.  You could sail broad passing the Wrabness beach huts with the sea right under them.  Then out to near Holbrook School, gybing before you ran out of wind, beating back straight into the chop with one last gybe before returning to the starting beach which had completely disappeared under water.  I have never seen it so high! I covered 33 miles with a reasonable top speed of 27 knots:) Mag had had a nice time after trying to sort out new leisure batteries and windows for our little campervan (over an hour on the phone – mainly on hold!!!!) she went on a nice walk around the fields and back by the beach huts:) I warmed up with the diesel heater on, a cuppa and snack. I packed up as the sun disappeared and there wasn’t really any time left to go for a walk. So, a top session on the pretty Stour, shame a few more didn’t come as I wasnt cold at all with it being 8/9 degrees. Son Rob and Grandson Arlo is coming for a couple of days, arriving this evening, can’t wait and then there might be some more wind at the weekend:)

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