14 Questions to … Antolin Alejandre

Antolin Alejandre, from Almeria, 2014 Junior European Champion (as skipper) and 2012 and 2014 Senior European Champion (as crew)

(Photo: Antolin Alejandre – left – and Raul de Valenzuela – right)

1) Your first time on a sailing boat?

When I was 7 years old on a sailing course. At that moment I realized that I loved sailing. When I was a child I tried a lot of sports but never found anything to compare with sailing.

– 2) Your first time on a Snipe?

The first time that I sailed on a snipe was when I was14 in a Spanish Championship in my city. I was only the crew and understood nothing that I was expected to do and now I don´t even remember the name of my skipper so really my first time on snipe was with Raul probably in 2010.

– 3) The most bizarre thing that happened in a regatta?

Several years ago when I was 12, I was sailing the National Championship of Cadet class in Almería with my brother. We had finished the first race with reasonably good weather conditions when suddenly the wind started to rise, clouds appeared out of nothing and it started to hail. We couldn’t see anything two meters ahead of us and there were RIBS rushing in all directions. The bizarre thing about this is that Almería has the driest weather in Europe.

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– 4) What is the thing that most angers you in a race/regatta?

Waiting for the race committee in the race area when the conditions for sailing are good, and waiting in general. I get a little nervous but now I am trying to change my mentality because in this sport dependence on the weather is everything.

– 5) Which is the race/regatta that you remember with the most pleasure?

Without any doubt the last Europeans in Poland. I am a person that is always looking to the next goal, and in this year I was going for both the European Junior and Senior Championship. I was conscious that it would be very difficult to achieve. But I trained very hard and I got there. In many ways this was thanks to many people, starting with my club, the Club de Mar Almería, my second home. The fleet of Almería that helped me so much, especially Alejandro Fresneda. My crew and friend Paco and above all Raúl who has been and still is one of the most important people in my life.

– 6) And the race/regatta you would like to forget?

I think forgetting a race is a mistake because a bad race teaches you more than a good race. However, I didn’t have a good time in the two world championships, one of them took place in Denmark where the freezing weather conditions were horrible and in Brasil where the circular currents were extremely difficult for us.

– 7) Your “dream in the peak”? (Your sailing dream?)

I have a lot of dreams. Why not a world championship or sailing around the world, but I prefer short-term objectives.

– 8) Sailing goals for 2015, and beyond?

My priority for next year is to try to get a good place in the World Championship. I think that Raul has the aptitude and the spirit to win something like this and I want be his crew. Also why not the National Championship and as skipper of my own boat. I want to take each race as it comes and learn from every new experience.

– 9) The most important people for you in sailing and in the Snipe?

Raul de Valenzuela Santaella. He was my trainer when I was in Optimists and he infected me with his competitive personality which hasn´t diminished over time. He was and still is a reference to me. He has taught me everything I know about sailing and other things in life too. Now I consider him as my second big brother and I feel very proud to have shared these last five years of sailing together.

– 10) Why the Snipe?

I have sailed in many different classes like Optimist, Cadet and Laser but my club has a very competitive Snipe fleet. One year Raul asked me to sail the National Championship with him and in return he would lend me his boat for the Junior European Championship of the same year. That was the beginning of this all.

I love this class but sometimes I would prefer more seriousness and less fun because I like windy and heavy conditions. However I understand this is a class where young and older sailors sail together thus being a complicated mix. This also this gives us the great chance of learning from experienced sailors.

– 11) Your perfect sailing venue and your perfect sailing conditions?

It depends, when I sail with Raul as a crew I prefer about 12 knots because, as everyone knows, the bow is a tough place to be, and even more if you are sailing with him ;). When I sail as a skipper, I like heavy wind such as 18/22 knots since Paco, my crew, is really strong, and this makes it very enjoyable.

– 12) Besides sailing which other sport do you practice?

I spend a lot of time in the gym. We have a very tough workout plan and sometimes I ask myself if we are training for sailing or for war; but we enjoy it anyway.

I also like riding my mountain bike, swimming and sports in general. I am very active person so I spent most of the time figuring out what to do.

– 13) Are you superstitious?

Yes, a lot. At first, it started only for respect towards Raul, because he is a little superstitious, but now I’m far worse than him.

For example, the night before the last day of every competition I must wear my lucky socks.

Another thing I always do is making myself a wristband a month before each competition. If I win it I won’t remove it. Some of them have been in my wrist for seven years.

Finally, my crew and I buy a tablet of chocolate that we’ll only eat if we win the race, if not, it will go to our brothers.

– 14) Your perfect holiday?

Probably one without exams, somewhere warm, with my friends and my family, which is really important to me. And obviously sailing.