Wednesday 2nd October  – Windsurf **** River Stour at Wrabness – mainly cloudy with the odd shower.

Foil – 19.79  knot max, 18.52 knot ave, 13.80  knot hour, 15.97 knot mile, 56.11 km., 15.11 knot alpha. 

Starboard Freeride 150 and a Evolution Slalom foil with a Tushingham Storm 6.5.

With a fresh breeze from the NE forecast and high tide around one a trip to the River Stour at Wrabness was the order of the day with fingers crossed the rain stayed away! Had a quick breakfast, load the van with my foil gear and left Felixstowe just before nine and parked at the end of Wall Lane being the only vehicle there just as the rain started! It was only a short shower so I then went to check the wind and sadly it was very light so I walked up to the wooden huts to take a few pics as the wind slowly built so I went back to unload the van so Mag could have her breakfast. The foil board was quickly set-up and as I had left my big boom at home the largest sail I could rig was my 6.5 so went with that! I launched with plenty of water but it was very light and had several slow runs across the river only flying now and then. Neil then launched with a few wingers and he was flying, he beat up for a chat on the water and I realized he was out with 7.4! The wind then did pick up and I had loads of runs sailing in front of my launch beach getting some OK gybes and going broad a few times but did not break 20 knots today, it does get fairly lumpy in places here on the Stour! I then started to slowly beat across Holbrook bay in front of the school as the wind freshened and I could easily have used my 5.5! After about ten long runs I could then sail past the large shipping channel post at the end of Wrabness beach and continued a long way into the next bay before turning and had some cracking long broad runs running down the swells, what great fun that was, a couple of gybes later and I was level with Mistley Quay a straight line distance of 4 miles. I actually went in for the first time here when my foil had a mad moment and on up hauling I discovered the wind had dropped and I started a slow beat back, I did get up and flying a couple of times and made it back to Wrabness as the tide was dropping. Back at the van with lunch with mag she told me she had had a nice walk around the nature reserve. So after a slow start and finish I had a really good bit in the middle and actually sailed nearly 35 miles. Time to pack up and head for home, we had a heavy shower so I headed out in search of a rainbow, sadly I spotted none but did see some cool clouds!

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