Haven't been out since 28th May, over a month!!! but we have had the most brilliant time in the Southern Alps and Provence enjoying some top hiking and biking:) Still I was very keen to get out on the water again after yesterdays washout the forcast looked better today but wsw which is a bit off here at Felixstowe and several seemmed keen to go to the River Stour at Wrabness. With high water at about 10.30 and sunshine at it's best early I was hoping to be in the carpark by 8 but our old cat woke us up at 5.45 so I got up had breakfast and headed off in a beautiful blue sky day:) I was first at Wrabness and the wind was fairly light and I was going to rig 9.4 on the longboard but quickly filled in as Jason Powell arrived, gusting to 20 mph so I riggged the 8.5 and took out the 147lt and was first out on the water:) The good day didn't last very long as a gust hit me 50m offshore and I fell onto my lovely 8.5 Lightning and put my hand through the biggest panel:( at this point I was nearly in tears and I will have to start looking for a new 8.5 - can anyone help, looking for a Tushingham Lightning or Bolt 8.5???
I wasn't sure what to rig now the 9.4 or 7.8? the wind was filling in nicely now so went for the 7.8. I had a few runs with it on the bigger Xantos making 25 kts but this is not the best board to gybe so changed to the 133 which was muc h better.I have never sailed here in this direction before so after launching you could reach back and forth across the river which is very wide here getting on for a mile at high water. As with all river sailing the wind was a bit up and down but you could plan right across the river most of the time and we were getting some really strong gusts when a 7m might have been better. I tried going fast but as the tide came in it chopped up nicely and I struggled to get just under 27kts but it was great fun trying and I was out nearly 5 hours covering over 50 miles so you can't complain. I was joined by speed buddy Peter Cutts and several Felixstowe sailors including Mark Swain, Mark Smalling, Ian Clarke and Chris Phillips and the 10 or so sailrs out enjoyed the sunny periods and good breeze.
It would have been a 5 Star session if I hadn't destroyed my 8.5 but great day non the less :)
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