NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Back at ‘Playa’ the wind was back up to full-bore 4m conditions and with the swell building by the minute, Victor was in his full element charging in and out through the waves, contorting through ridiculous jumps and shredding apart the inside bowl. Now I was a party first-hand as to why Fernandez is so slick at starboard jumping and side onshore riding, Almerimar’s the perfect training ground for him to perfect his talents to a world class level. Of course Victor is one of the few sailors that are equally gifted on both tacks and, sure enough, the second string to his bow is the fact this spot also receives regular [port tack] Levante Winds, similar to Tarifa, which is located around 300km down the coast. After only a few hours in Almerimar it was already striking me that this little gem on the Andalucía Coast is definitely a spot that seems to have slipped under the radar over the years. Fernandez became World Champion thanks to his induction on these waters and after seeing him in action at his home break it’s not difficult to figure out how this area’s groomed him to become such a gifted sailor. Philip Koester has been brought up with a not-so-dissimilar set up at Vargas in Gran Canaria, over in Brazil, Kauli Seadi spent his early years tearing apart the beachbreaks of Ibiraquera while, at the other end of the scale, a sailor like Scotty McKercher smashed the grinding left-handers at Margaret River (Western Australia) to pieces. It’s your home break that can mould the type of sailor you are. Next time I see Fernandez tweak a huge backside air in Sylt or someplace on tour, I guess his amazing timing and precision with these moves is largely down to countless hours of hard practice back here in Almerimar.
Since Victor became World Champion the word’s slowly starting to spread about Almerimar, especially since it produces excellent conditions for both tacks. Spring is the best season for this area, with the best months from February until the end of May when the low pressures in the North Atlantic produce regular strong west/ south west winds.
