Wednesday 6th October - Windsurf **** River Stour at Bradfield – cloudy and cool.

68th Birthday windsurf – my 12th session in 14 days!

Fin – 28.63 knot max, 25.78 knot ave ., 14.49 knot hour, 20.43 knot mile, 49.48 km., 16.71 knot alpha.

F2 282 Ride with Tushingham Thunderbird 6.5m and 32 F - Hot fin.

Top day and a great way to celebrate my 68th Birthday, first I had to have my flu jab at 8.20 then home for breakfast then setting off over the border into Essex to windsurf on the River Stour at Bradfield, my first visit there since 30th August! Luckily the rain from first thing had gone and Mag and I were the first to arrive around 9.30 with 25 knots of wind blowing down the river and the tide was right to sail, in fact I probably missed the best conditions as the water state is always better with less water in the Stour! Mate Neil, Michael and Robert soon arrived wishing me happy birthday before decided whether to fin or foil? I chose to fin as you don’t get many opportunities to fin here with 6,5 so was first out on the water on my 115 lt. F2 Ride with the water now getting noticeable cooler, time for boots now! My first couple of runs were the best of the whole session and I would have got a 27-knot average easily if I had started the session earlier as the river soon chopped up! As with all river sailing the wind is up and down, but I stuck with the smaller board for a couple of hours and for a change here I the Stour I think the fin sailors out numbered the foilers! After beating across the river especially in the rough water in the deep-water channel it was great fun sailing back going broad down the swells, in the end I would have been better off with a slightly bigger sail. With the wind going particularly patchy I headed in to see Mag but with the tide changing soon I decided to give the bigger Xantos at 133 lt. ago, but it was not great and I was getting cold so decided to call it a day having done 30 miles:) Ba ck in the van with the diesel heater on I soon warmed up and had a yummy chicken sandwich being entertained by a large flock of Green Finches feeding in the field of sun flowers:) Then home feeling pretty knackered especially after 12 sessions in the last 14 days I decided to have a bath, my first for several years and to be honest I am not keen. Luckily there is no wind for several days so it will give the old body a break.

Just like to thank everyone for all their Birthday best wishes – top day, the only thing missing was some sunshine!

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