Dinghies on the Beaulieu River

I sailed a windsurfer up the river to Beaulieu once, probably timed it with the tide, and we first raced a RIB in 1976, a Flatacraft, got a picture somewhere, would show you only I'm standing in front of it getting changed, the buggers caught me with my trousers down, nothing new there then.

this isn't us, but this is us if you see what I mean - not exactly a RIB but I couldn't be bothered to type anymore.

Always found the good 'ol Wayfarer an excellent steed for tidal river sailing; Rock, Falmouth, Poole, Pweheli and Sheppey. Slow to accelerate but also slow to decelerate and something about getting all that mass moving made it a go through lighter patches of wind up-tide always, where lighter or snub-nosed boats may have struggled, as previous poster points out, many of these estuaries also have fleets of gaff cutters or yawls which also do very well against tide, even in pretty light winds

There is a large collection of gaff rigged boats that sail form just out side beaulieu Abby that seem to do ok.

A pair of oars would be a good idea. It's a fair old current.