Stephen Squirrell (34966km):
2266 days ago Tuesday 11th September – windsurf *** Point Clear – odd sunny period but mainly cloudy:(.
F2 Xantos 295 with Tushingham Lightning 7.8 and 38 cm fin.
27.42 knot max., 22.89 knot ave., 11.21 knot hour, 20.36 knot mile, 54.40 km., 12.77 knot alpha.
Again, a day that promised so much failed to deliver once again and Point Clear one of my favourite local venues is turning into a real jinxed spot as I have had only one good sail here this year in six attempts the forecast wind so often fails to reach this corner of Essex!!!! :( After Sunday’s light wind flounder Mag and I made up for it yesterday with a 5 Star bike ride along the River Colne from Alresford to Colchester Castle and had a nice couple of nights in our little camper in deepest Essex:) The forecast, steady for some days was a WSW 20/30 mph wind but it was supposed to drop turning the day a bit of a worry as you couldn’t get on the water until about eleven. In the end I think the main wind came a fraction early passing in the night but several Felixstowe sailors still made the trip as WSW is not good at Felixstowe. It seemed breezy as we woke in the van at our sheltered spot at Alresford so things seemed set for a good one. We set off for the ten-mile drive stopping off at the end of the creek just through St Osyth to drop Mag off so she could walk to Point Clear. I was first to arrive and parked at the far carpark as it’s easier to sail out from here with no rock groyne in the way, in fact most of the Felixstowe sailors parked here with only Peter Cutts choosing The Green:( It definitely wasn’t as windy as forecast but had 20 mph on the gauge on the beach so rigged my X-15 7m and put the Ride 282 and 277 on the beach. Sadly, the wind eased and with the tide slow to come in I had time to rig a second sail, I had hoped to rig 6.4 but the conditions dictated the 7.8:( I then for the second session in a row put a third yellow board on the beach my 295, I have not used this lightweight board before. Peter Cutts was first on the water with 7.8 on his big shortboard but struggled to get going to start with, then sailors our end including first time Point Clear sailor Michael Galbraith, Neil Hurrell and Mark Swain all rigged bigger than they expected to use. I had a couple of runs out to sea towards Jaywick to make upwind planing in patches and then I decided to head the three miles up the River Colne as there is sometimes more wind the other side of Mersea Island and there is some lovely flat water down by the Fingeringhoe Army ranges, the red flag was flying meaning the army were on the ranges but you are perfectly safe on the river! It is always patchy sailing past East Mersea but I soon hit some gusts and had a few OK mile runs including my best peak, over 27 knots on a good gust near the end of the run, I was disappointed with my alpha as I did a really good gybe entering at 25 knots but must have sailed too broad out so didn’t get back to 50m soon enough:( There was a fishing boat trawling for oysters and the odd sailing boat going up river even though it was now cloudy:( I had several runs all by myself but it wasn’t constant so I decided to head back ending up beating 4.50 miles out to sea and had a nice run back to the van running down the waves only a few metres from the beach. I don’t I had missed a lot back at Point Clear, the lagoon was only good for foiling practice as it was very light there and the wind was very up and down out to sea where an 8.5 and the 310 would have been better! On coming ashore Peter had found a Black Headed Gull with an oyster shell stuck to its foot, we can’t believe that could happen!!! He took it back to our van where the bird continually bit Peter fingers and I got a knife to prize the shell open, easier said than done! We managed in the end and despite the fact that the gull had broken toes we hope it was not injured too badly and fingers crossed it survives! After a yummy salad I had to make adjustments to my foot straps, I should have done them before I set out and set off again. Mark Swain was now here with 8m + and a couple of kiters headed to the lagoon but I sailed out to sea and then up the river again just to check the wind but it was too light so returned, I sailed through the gap into the lagoon but it was a waste of time as way too light so headed back to join everyone backing up! I then had to pack away three boards and two sails but it is easy to load the lovely new trailer, the session was marginally better than Sunday, in the end I was on the water 2 hours 40 minutes covering 33 miles (54.40 km) and I think I am due a good session here at Point Clear!!!!
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