I’m Nearly Free !!!!!!!! Name: Lucy Robson Age: 24yrs Home town: Brighton I’ve had a very baffled reception here with senior management questioning exactly why I won’t accept a position within the firm together with mock horror:   “You’re going to do what?!” “Yes that’s right – windsurf” “Lucinda please think this through carefully” “Don’t worry I have...blah blah blah”   I mean, really, who wants to wake up middle-aged, with permanent drab suit syndrome having never given themselves the opportunity to do something fantastic?!   Punta Blanca Action

ROXY GIRLS CAMP: Me up north, them down south – Doh!!

Since going “Looptastic” last month, sure enough I made my way to Fuerte on 17 July for the intended Roxy Girls camp being run by the Moreno Twins. However it goes without saying that nothing runs smoothly with me and trips to Fuerte are usually characterised by getting lost and being unable to find the accomodation (need to work on orientation skills), trashing the hire car, kit and myself!

I got to Fuerte pretty late on Sunday 17th and drove into Corralejo in the north of the island arriving around midnight. Two hours later, waving a slim bit of paper (the so called booking confirmation) I was still searching for “Villas Neptuno” (some cheapish deal I managed to score on the internet). Everyone I asked had the same blank joviality “ah ‘Biya netune’ no se!” Predictably, with a car full of kit, no sleep and approaching 3am I snapped! Luckily with a calming influence (thanks Caspar) it was all ok after some wine, tapas and a hotel.

The next day I headed to Cortillo as the wind was picking up. It was pretty gusty and I only just managed to hold down my 4.7 zone but all in all a good session and great nonetheless - probably also due to the fact that the water was so warm and I was enjoying the bikini sensation!

Sotavento OR Punta Blanca?

With just one day to go until the start of the girls’ freestyle camp I got an early night, and although I wasn’t sure where I was going in the morning I had assurances that it was in the north of the island so I settled back to thinking about those sliding vulcans and finding the crew in the morning! The next day however I couldn’t get hold of anyone by phone or text and after asking several dudes in town if they had seen a bunch of windsurf chicks and getting blanked looks I tried (again) not to snap and went solo for the day making the most of some decent swell at Punta Blanca. I later found out that the girls were down south in Sotavento but by this time I had settled into a dream routine of morning surfs at glass beach with Caspar where it was consistently true to it’s name and good overhead, and afternoons at Punta Blanca which was really good for starboard jumping and allowed me to practice some moves for the autumn competition season in the UK.

The local standard here is also incredibly high and I was just awed to be sailing with talented people at a decent break.There were people going for double forwards and table top forwards all around me. I was just content on the table tops and forwards done separately! Aside from one confrontation with an angry German who was determined on getting the best wave section at any cost “You forking English are all the same” (?!) a broken fin and shredded feet, this reef was nice to me and gave plenty of opportunity for aerial and waveriding practice and also reason to head down to Corky’s bar in the evenings…

…And so I get to the last day in Fuerte. I’d had my final session at Punta Blanca and it was back to the airport. However en route we jumped the car rather enthusiastically over a bigish rock on the north track and punctured a hole in the underside resulting from oil literally p*ssing from the engine! It took two cans of oil later and driving at snail pace to make the airport….!

And that marks the end of my Fuerte adventure and brings me back to here and now… Office, law and south coast sailing… but with two weeks left I can hardly complain!

Lucy.