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WINDSURFING, REPORT: FUERTEVENTURA, CANARY ISLANDS, APRIL 2021 (First part) Being foreclosed all other possible destinations, for reasons related to Covid, we decided to take the opportunity of this forced holiday week to finally go and discover a well-known windsurfing destination: Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands. Here is our report. Fuerteventura is a strange island. It is a place that must be known and discovered well, to be appreciated and loved. It is not love at first sight, like South Africa or Sardinia. When I left the airport of Puerto del Rosario, driving towards Corralejo, the first arid and desolate landscapes with some unpleasant urbanization, even made me feel a certain anxiety, and I said to myself: "have I arrived in a kind of Oman, with 20 degrees less? " I immediately wanted to take advantage of this transfer to my accommodation, to go and explore the famous spot of Glass Beach, in the Natural Park of the Dunes of Corralejo. And here the vibes began to be positive, also thanks to the sunset light over the dunes. Then arrived at the apartment at the Corralejo Beach Hotel, in the town center. I took a shower and immediately wnet out for a dinner at the Avenida Restaurant, with a nice grouper, with Canary potatoes, white wine, and rum chupito with cream, to finish. I found myself thrown into another world: summer temperatures, restaurants and clubs full of vacationers. Corralejo immediately revealed itself as one of the nightlife centers of Fuerte. The next day, Sunday, after a nice breakfast on the balcony overlooking the bay and Lobos (I will miss this pleasant start to the day ...), I went to rent windsurfing equipment from Witchcraft. Bouke Becker, Dutch by origin, but moved to Fuerteventura for decades, as well as owner of the brand and designer at 360 degrees (boards, sails, and fins), was a pleasant meeting made during the holiday in Fuerte. I will talk about Witchcraft, with more details, in another specific article. I then took two Wave Slayer sails, 4.7 and 5.2, a Witchcraft rdm mast, a reduced diameter prolimit carbon boom, and a 90 liter Wave Haka board. And I set off to discover the North Shore of Fuerte. The north of Fuerte requires patience and experience to be best appreciated ( Read review of the North East coast and the North coast ). The wind is not as strong and guaranteed as in the south of the island ( Sotavento, read review ), or as in Pozo, but the quality of the waves (swell), combined with the direction of the wind, means that the wave spots are world class ones. In the morning, I started checking how to reach the main ones, waiting for the wind to begin blowing, which was predicted for the afternoon. My friend Max Rinaldi from Genoa, a profound connoisseur of the island, was my tutor in real time throughout the holiday. I wandered along the dirt road between Majanicho and El Cotillo, then passing through Punta Blanca. The immense and oceanic beach of El Cotillo immediately won me over for its beauty. In the afternoon, I then stationed in Punta Blanca, being the spot that, due to the intensity and direction of the wind (NE), guaranteed the best prospects. And so it was. At 16.00 the wind started to pick up (about 15-16 knots). I rigged the 5.2, with the batten above the boom pointing over the middle of the mast, as advised by Bouke to give more power to the sail, and at 17.00 I entered the water. In the first few days, there was no big swell, but on Sunday the waves at Punta seemed nice and fun, anyway (1-2 meters). I went out floating, trying to go upwind, so as not to drift towards the rocks 150 meters from the shore, leeward, and in the area of the surfers. I forgot to tell you that Fuerteventura is a great place for surfing, with many spots for all levels, many schools and rentals, and many (sometimes too many) enthusiasts. And surfing, even for us windsurfers, is an excellent alternative, to have fun in the morning among the waves of the North, waiting for the afternoon wind. Returning to the session in Punta Blanca, once I changed sailing root, that is, returning to the shore, I started playing with the waves, which were easy and ideal for gaining experience. However, I started with a certain caution, that being my first session here, and being the spot characterized by rocks almost everywhere around, and by an equally rocky and irregular seabed. And, in fact, when I fell, I immediately realized that I had water at my waist, even at 50-70 meters from the shore. Moreover, since the water is very clear, the seabed can be seen very well, when riding! At Punta, you go out in all tide conditions, but it is definitely better to go out at high or rising tide, also because you can take advantage of a sandy beach for entry and exit from the water. The port tack ride towards the shore has always been the most fun, both for the possibility of surfing the waves, and because, by taking advantage of the gusts and / or the waves, it was possible to easily get planing. When planing, it was also easier tacking or jibing, once the wave was over, before reaching the (rocky) coast. La Punta is a spot for jumping, but the weak wind did not allow me to make jumps on the occasion of the exit. I was in the water for an hour before returning to shore to have a drink and a quick bite to eat. Meanwhile, two other windsurfers arrived, one of which, Mateusz, young and slender, also equipped with Witchcraft, was very good. He immediately showed me how to get more waves than me ... I then went into the water for another hour. In Northern Fuerteventura, it is normal to be in the water in the late afternoon, until sunset. On Monday morning, I decided to take advantage of the first part of the day to start exploring the island, and I went south, to discover the famous Playa de Sotavento, where Renè Egli, the well-known windsurfing center, is located. The journey from Corralejo takes about an hour and a half. The south is very touristy, and arriving in Costa Calma, you immediately realize it. Suddenly, palm groves and other thick vegetation appear, a rarity on most of the island, and which proliferate here thanks to artificial irrigation. And large tourist complexes also appear. But then, suddenly, also Playa de Sotavento appear, which is a unique spectacle to see, endless and with a white sand, dazzling under the intense sunlight, and which contrasts wonderfully with the clear blue sky, and with the emerald sea. And the wind also appears, a lot of wind. Here the trade wind enters better, being no longer disturbed by Lanzarote. And so, I parked above the Renè Egli, I rigged the 4.7, with little profile, I put the wetsuit and I entered the water. Around here, a Witchcraft-equipped rider is seen as a Martian. And Renè's instructors began to greet me, perhaps thinking: this must be a good one ... I immediately noticed the organization on the spot (showers, public toilet, some deck chairs), as well as the facilities of the center, which also moved to Severne equipment. Sandy bottom, shallow waters, and side off wind. A beachstart, and I started my session. In the first half an hour, I also enjoyed myself .... Obviously, it is an easy spot, with increasingly choppy water surface (chop overlying on a slight swell), going offshore, and also stronger and stronger wind. I did good jibes, and also some good fast tacks. Around me, slalom riders, mainly. At one point, the Renè Egli drone even caught me windsurfing here (career and reputation as a waver spoilt, ah, ah). Then, the wind had a rotation and became almost offshore, becoming even more gusty. Closing the maneuvers became more and more difficult, and, after another half an hour in the water, I decided it was enough. I got out of the water, and continued my exploration of the south of the island. I started driving inland, in a moon like landscape, coming to admire it from the famous Mirador de Sicasumbre. As far as the eye can see, mountains of volcanic rock, bare, and of different colors, from dark brown to reddish to light ocher. A panorama that arouses contrasting emotions, a mixture of fascination and disquiet due to the desolation of the scene. Suggestive scenarios, but the intensity of the emotions that South Africa or Sardinia gives me are completely different. Tenerife also struck me more from a panoramic point of view, for the greater variety of landscapes, and for the thick vegetation at high altitude, and in the north of the island. Anyway, I continued my trip, passing by Betancuria, the former capital of the island, with a small historic center, and some prestigious buildings (beautiful church), and a little more vegetation than the norm, supported by the presence of a natural spring. Then, messages in the Witchcraft team's WhatsApp group began to arrive, indicating that the wind (the trade wind) was beginning to blow well at Punta Blanca. Compatibly with speed limits ..., I threw myself at the Punta. When I arrived at the spot, a show appeared in front of me: all the wavers from the north of the island were in the water. Nice waves (high tide), and 20 knots of wind.