Sunday 28th – windsurf *** Wrabness – sunny periods!

Starboard Formula 155 and NP foil with Tushingham Lightning 7.8.

Foil – 19.22 knot max., 17.73 knot ave., 5.38 knot hour, 0.00 knot mile, 15.60 km., 0.00 knot alpha.

My 5th windsurfing session in 6 days but after yesterdays 40 knot winds today’s forecast was a lot less and dropping throughout the day:( With the wind from the North there are only really two options, Alton Water and the River Stour at Wrabness. The only problem with the Stour was it was low water in the middle of the day so you couldn’t get out until late afternoon in time to coincide with the wind dropping! Everyone knows my feelings about Alton so I waited to sees what happens, Jason WhatsApps me around two to say there was 15 knots on the Stour so I quickly hitched the trailer and set off for Essex. The road was closed off for a car rally at Bradfield so we had to make a small detour via Lawford getting there at about 3.15 with Jason already out on the water and it looked like there was a nice breeze and the tide was well on the way in. I rigged 7.8 to have my 5th foiling session, this time fitting the spacer washer to the rear foil to hope for more lift as I have been having problems getting this NP foil to fly, I have heard that it does require more wind to get it going and from my experience so far I need 15 mph of wind, hopefully I can find the technique to get going in lighter winds but I will have to rig 8.5 or even 9.4 which is something I didn’t want to do but I cant see a way around it for a heavyweight! After a rainy/cloudy morning we were getting a glimpse of the sun making the river look so much better, this is a great spot to sail with really long runs all be it a bit gusty but I am used to that as I sail rivers a lot! It was 50m to the water but then at least that more to find water deep enough to foil and with the wind in the North you had a few miles of water in front of you and the same again towards Harwich, this must be the best local foiling venue, the only problem being you are reliant on the tide. I headed up river for a mile or so towards Bradfield and actually got my best ever flight but it takes a lot of concentration to keep it airborne! I did hit the bottom in front of Bradfield beach and then again near the beach huts at Wrabness but my foil is pretty tough so it is OK. The session would have been more stars as I was getting so nice runs but the wind was definitely dropping very light at times punctuated by some great gusts, hitting nearly 20 knots while flying. There were times when a longer mast would have been helpful as I lost it out of the water a few times and was getting some cool wipe-outs, even catching my head on something. There was enough wind to water start a lot of the time and I didn’t have any problems catching my legs on it. Jason was also out on his fin board but the wind was too light, I think he needs a foil as he only lives up the road, also another foiler Graham was out with his son on formula kit. So, I am improving slowly but would really like to get a Zulu foil which is what I wanted in the first place but they come from South Africa and am nervous of importing one! There could be a run of northerly winds later in the week so it could be more foiling on the Stour! By the time I had packed up and had a chat it was 7.30 but at least the Bradfield road was open, what a top month April has been, lets hope May is as good!!!

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