More than a hundred sailors from thirteen countries throughout Europe, aged between 17 and up to 71 years, have put an end this Sunday to the 2022 Windsurfer Europeans «La Brava Cup», which has recovered the origins of windsurfing, returning to its roots when it entered Spain, precisely through the Bay of Roses. The competition has also elevated the Andalusian windsurfer Fernando Lamadrid Rodríguez, belonging to the windsurfing team of the CN Puerto Sherry, as absolute Men’s European Champion. Lamadrid Rodríguez is the father of Fernando and Pilar Lamadrid Trueba, both in the Spanish pre-Olympic Windsurfing Olympic modality team, the iQFOil class.
«I set myself the goal of this championship eight months ago and it has been my motivation throughout this time, what drove me to get into the water every day without looking at the wind, wave and rain conditions.
My great unknown was knowing if I would be doing the right thing in terms of the technique and trim of the sail and board, since all my training has been alone without being able to compare myself with another board«, declares Lamadrid, who with «the notes» in the hand, adds,
«My surprise has been really pleasant, of ten tests, in nine of them I have been among the first three». Asked about where he thinks the key has been, the Andalusian windsurfer has no doubt, «Concentration, tension and effort are the three adjectives that would define my performance».
The fleet, in addition to being numerous, 120 sailors, 13 countries including outside Europe such as Australia, South Africa and the USA, has had a high level with great specialists from Italy and South Africa, as well as legends of windsurfing history such as Stephan Van Den Berg medal gold in Los Angeles 84. With conditions between 6 and 24 knots with big waves, a total of ten Course Race tests and a long distance regatta were completed on the last day.
Fernando Lamadrid started in second position after the current holder of the title, the Finn Juha Blinnika. At the end of the second day he was just three points behind the Finn and it was the next day when he managed to get into first position using a 2nd, a 6th and two 1sts, on a day with little wind in which he showed greater speed than his opponents. In the marathon he also finished in first position in his category, so in the general classification with the sum of all the points he repeated his position. «Three in one as a final balance».
