Windsurfing has become one of the most popular
water sports in Cadiz. El Puerto de Santa Maria
has excellent windsurfing facilities to practice
this sport and Puerto
Sherry has become one of the
hot spots for international training in this
given olympic event.
Every year teams from all over Europe come to
Puerto Sherry to compete in various competitions
in the Atlantic waters of the Bay
of Cádiz which has excellent
wind conditions for this sport. The New Year
Regata is just one of the many competitions
in the Bay of Cadiz where more than a hundred
specialists of fourteen countries come to compete
in classes RS:
X and Techno 293 OD, important
when scoring for the international ranking (ISAF)
The three categories of
Techno 293 sub' 15, sub' 17
and Open, and the Championship of Andalusia,
Masculine and Feminine, and for the Olympics
of the Windsurfing, class RS:
X are enjoyed by all the specatators
in Puerto Sherry every January.
Every New Year Emilio's Bar celebrates the New
Year with a party for all of the windsurfing
atheletes in Puerto Sherry many of whom rent
out our apartments for the event. If you wish
to book accomodation for windsurfing please
check out all the apartments available along
with prices:
It is advisable to book your apartment in advance
Apartaments, flats and houses are available
to rent on a weekly and daily basis
For further information Rental
prices and information Telephone
: 0034 692643396
Windsurfing, or raceboarding, is a surface
water sport using a windsurf board, also commonly
called a sailboard, usually two to five meters
long and powered by wind pushing a single
sail. The rig is connected to the board by
a free-rotating flexible joint called the
Universal Joint (U-Joint). Unlike a rudder-steered
sailboat, a windsurfer is steered by the tilting
and rotating of the mast and sail as well
as tilting and carving the board.
The sport combines aspects of both
sailing
and
surfing,
along with certain athletic aspects shared with
other board sports like skateboarding, snowboarding,
waterskiing, and wakeboarding. A windsurfer holds
the world speed record for sailing craft and,
windsurfers can perform jumps, inverted loops,
spinning maneuvers, and other "freestyle"
moves that cannot be matched by any sailboat.
Windsurfing includes speed sailing, slalom, course
racing, wave sailing, superX, and freestyle as
distinct disciplines.
Though windsurfing is possible in winds from
near 0 to 50 knots, the ideal planing conditions
for most recreational sailors is 15-25 knots,
with lighter winds resulting in displacement
mode sailing.
The boom of the 1980s led windsurfing to be
recognized as an Olympic sport in 1984. However,
windsurfing's popularity saw a sharp decline
in the mid-1990s, as equipment became more specialized,
requiring more expertise to sail. Now the sport
is experiencing a modest revival, as new beginner-friendly
designs are becoming available.
Lessons can be taken with a school. the basic
skills of sailing, steering, and turning can
be learned within a few hours. Competence in
the sport and mastery of more advanced maneuvers
such as planing, carve gybing (turning downwind
at speed), water starting, jumping, and more
advanced moves can require lengthy practice
Sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing lessons are
available in El Puerto de Santa Maria in the
Federation
de Vela in Puerto Sherry.