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 Wednesday 8th May – windsurf **** Point Clear – cloudy, squally, sunny periods and cool!

F2 Xantos 133 with 39 cm fin and Tushingham Lightning 7.8m.

Fin – 26.009 knot max., 24.17 knot ave., 13.46 knot hour, 21.22 knot mile, 45.14 km., 17.99 knot alpha.

Today looked like it was going to be the only breezy day now as the wind is dropping away for several days which is pretty typical as there is a round of the British Slalom Championship at my home spot of Felixstowe this coming weekend! The wind was supposed to be SSE and very wet in the morning but then switching to SW and drying out by midday in time to catch high water at Point Clear around 2.15. You had to take a bit of a chance and leave Felixstowe by 11.30 while it was still raining hard. I was going a little stir-crazy sitting at home watching the rain full and with Simon Chippington going to PC I decided to head over to Essex as I had not been there since February! As we entered Essex the rain actually stopped but on arriving on the Green at PC it started to rain hard again which was a shame as there was loads of water and 20 mph of wind! Simon arrived with another slalom windsurfer followed by a mate, Felixstowe’s Andy Mexome! It was still pretty miserable light rain and cool for May but we all started to rig. I went for my 282 and 7m but quickly changed my mind and rigged 7.8 for the 133lt. Xantos which proved OK in the mainly marginal winds with the odd better gusts! My old kit seemed to be working well in the lagoon as the two slalom sailors looked under a lot of the time although Andy was once again getting his Goya going well with 7.3 although I think we could all have benefited form slightly bigger kit. I had some good fun beating to the bottom of the lagoon and having some gybe practice around a bouy and got an OK set of alphas but not windy enough for any good speeds:( Then with the wind going light I decided to head 3 miles by the River Colne past East Mersea but it was very light up there and I sailed slowly back to see Andy going well out to sea. I then had some nice mile runs across to East Mersea where I caught the biggest squall of the day and got my best speed a disappointing 26 knots with my best mile too. I then tried to get the tail end of the squall by carrying my kit back into the lagoon but the wind sadly dropped off. After a few more runs in the flat water as a huge back cloud approached. I waited at the end of the lagoon in hope of another squall but when it started to thunder and lightning, I thought it best to head back. So, an OK session and probably worth the 80-mile round trip to one of my favourite venues, nice to chat up with a few mates. Warmed up in the van with the diesel heater on full blast and were as usual the last to leave in beautiful sunshine!

 https://www.facebook.com/stephen.squirrell.1/media_set?set=a.10215693450821944&type=3

 http://mkwindsurfing.co.uk/booms/