32 VELA LIGERA
Light sailing, a pastime of passion and sacrifices If there is something that “Club de Vela Puerto de Andratx” (CVPA) can be proud about, it is its elite sportsmen and women. One of the most outstanding this season in dinghy sailing is Mario Plomer, who at just 20 years old came first in the absolute category at the Spanish Laser Standard Championship held in Valencia. The results speak for themselves, but Mario believes that this win goes beyond that, since it is a clear reward for his endeavour and effort. “In about 90% of races something goes wrong, but when you do win, you feel rewarded and that all the work you have put in has not been in vain”. The truth is that “behind every competition there is a lot more
CVPA 2019
take her degree. “Now I am a biologist and Club monitor on the weekends”, she says proudly. Alejandro Solera, another former racer at the Andratx club and now one of the sailing instructors, found himself in a similar position. “I went to Madrid to study, then I spent a year in England, and when I came back I was fortunate enough to get a job at the Club. For me, sailing is more than a hobby, it is a lifestyle, but there comes a time when you have to choose: Is it worth sacrificing your personal life so that you can compete?” This was Solera’s dilemma in 2014 when he was training for the Olympic Games in the 470 class with Macià Alemany, another of the Club’s former champions who also had to weigh up his situation with regards to sailing and was forced to give up competing because he could not cope with the pressure.
utes before she was rescued. At this level of competition everyone has a story to tell, and fortunately most of them are just that - stories. “In one regatta, my partner fell overboard, I was at the prow with the wind hammering into my face and I suddenly realised that another boat had sailed over him. I had to turn back to help him and he was then rushed off to hospital. I was very worried. I really don’t know how he survived”, Mario says, who also remembers a storm in Sweden with “fog, 35 knot wind, lightning and rain. We had to intentionally capsize the boat over to avoid lightning strikes”. The experiences in this sport are unique, but they are also enriching at a personal level and require a high level of concentration. “There are no friends at sea. It is a competition where you have to be aware of everything: the water, sky, wind
Los regatistas Geoffrey Fazilleau y Angy Habera se esfuerzan al máximo en una competición. Foto: Luca Monzani.
than meets the eye. People only see the winner, but finishing in a good position requires a lot of hard work, such as training five days a week”, claims Mario, who combines his passion for this sport with his studies. This sport is purely vocational, and sometimes you have to make a choice. “If you want to spend all your life sailing, you have to give up part of your personal life”, confesses Elvira Martínez, former runner-up in the cadet category with CVPA, who had to give up sailing to
Despite the sacrifices involved in this sport, the four sailors consider themselves to be fortunate, not only because they do something they like, but because of their adventures every time they set out to sail. “It is true that you have to be careful at sea, particularly when you’re a newcomer to sailing. A time comes afterwards when you just think that if something has to happen, then so be it”, points out Elvira recalling a regatta with wind speeds of 25 knots, when she fell overboard and had to wait for 10 min-
and your rivals. There are lot of things on your mind all at the same time”, points out Macià. Despite the handicaps of sailing, Mario, Alejandro, Elvira and Macià believe this sport is a fundamental part of their lives. Alemany’s vocation has become his job, and he repairs sails for a major nautical company, whereas for Martínez it is her way of “switching off and having fun”. Plomer says that if it weren’t for sailing, “he would feel out of place” whereas Solera outrightly claims: “sailing is my life”.