Sunday 21st June (Father’s Day) – windsurf **** River Stour at Bradfield – cloudy start with sun late.

Starboard formula with foil and Lightning 7.

 wind 10 to 20 ssw turning west late.

Foil – 17.26 knot max, 16.00 knot ave .,7.10 knot hour, 13.01 knot mile, 18.70 km., 7.04 knot alpha

After three days in a row at The Dip I fancied a change of scenery but it was an interesting forecast cloudy start with maybe rain with SW wind turning west late with the sun appearing which is pretty much what we got. With high water just past midday and Levington is still closed for windsurfing, hopefully it will open soon, there were a couple of options, Point Clear but have decided to give that a miss especially at weekends as it has got horrendously busy mainly with hordes of kitesurfers all in the tiny lagoon but then suggested that I try the River Stour at Bradfield. I have never sailed there in a SW before which is dead offshore from the launching beach but on big foiling boards that’s not a problem and you are supposed to get good conditions in Holbrook bay so I decided to head there, also it is a beautiful spot to spend the day. Mag and I left home just after nine with just a few drops of rain and drove the 25 miles into Essex being the first to arrive at the new gate the farmer has fitted and now approx 30 now pay a yearly fee to sail at this nice spot, one of my favourite local venues and a great foiling spot. We are having our breakfast as several more foilers turn up, probably half a dozen in all including Jason who is recovering from an operation and hopefully can get back on the water next month:) I set up my foil but choosing a sail with the wind in this direction is a complete lottery as you just can’t judge the wind strength on the water as it is offshore but the water is nice and flat! With the race foilers rigging 9m and the rest of us rigging sails between 6.2 and 7m I go for my 7 knowing that whatever you pick will be wrong! Michael heads out first a lightweight with 6.2 and find the wind in the middle of the river as I begin wading out to find deep water leaving Jason and Mag putting the world to right in the van! The wind is patchy close in but there was plenty further out and I was soon flying broad down the middle of the river with wind gusting a bit over 20 knots. I know some sailors who had launched from the Suffolk side at Holbrook so headed that way giving the coaster heading to Mistley quay a wide berth!  I wanted to sail down to Parkstone but the wind disappeared the other side of Wrabness so I decided to head back. I had some cracking runs both upwind and down getting more comfortable flying all the time and the only time I went in was when I slipped off the board as the grip on my boots is very thin but I was pleased as I was way too hot in a full wetsuit and should have put my shortie on!!!  The sun was still in short supply and the wind was going patchy so I headed back past yachts and dinghies, people moored up having a day on the beach, even some kitesurfers out.  As I approached the van the last beat back was slow going in the light shifty winds but I got there in the end and soon was sitting with Mag in our lovely van with stunning views enjoying a yummy chicken sandwich:)

https://www.facebook.com/stephen.squirrell.1/media_set?set=a.10219139917741463&type=3

Sunday 21st June – walk **** - Bradfield to Wrabness, 4 miles – sunny and close!

After packing up we had a relaxing hour in the van reading and with m9ost now left for home Mag and I decide to go for a walk. The sun has now come out and the wind gone west it is very close and even a little airless as we walk along the beach towards Wrabness. The wheat is getting big now and the sky larks were putting on a good display as we reached the trees that mark the start of Wrabness nature reserve which is full of flowering blackberry bushes:) We were going to stop at the bird hide but that was full so continued all the way to Wrabness cliffs to watch the very busy Sand Martins feeding their young. You could see several youngsters with their heads out of their nest holes waiting for their parents to return with a mouth full of flies! There is now a sign up here saying ‘Private Land and Beach – No Public Access’ but judging by the numbers parked at the end of the lane and on the beach, people are ignoring that!!! After the martins we walked past the large wooden beach houses and then back to the van absolutely knackered to be revived with a cuppa and cake before the journey home, a top Father’s Day. We then had a video call from the Grandson Arlo and had to stop in a lay by on the A 14!!!!