News Every Day | 28 February 2025, 09:30

BOARD TALK: VICTOR FERNANDEZ

Next up in our

‘Board Talk’ series, we catch up with

multiple-time world champion Victor Fernandez, as he talks about the boards that power his performance! He shares what he rides in which conditions and the setup tricks that give him the edge. Don’t miss it!

Victor Fernandez

“For reference, I am 1.84 cm tall and weigh 84 kg!

When it comes to wave sailing, having the right board setup can make all the difference. As a professional windsurfer, I am constantly testing and fine-tuning my gear to adapt to different conditions and get the best possible performance. In this breakdown, I’ll share my insights on the latest Grip 4 and Grip 3 models, my preferred setups for different spots around the world, and what to expect from future designs. From board construction to fin placement and mast track positioning, here’s everything you need to know about my go-to quiver and how I dial in my gear for ultimate control and speed.

CONSTRUCTION

The D/Lab uses the Innegra construction, which is stiffer and lighter and the SLS are glass construction, which are still light but less stiff. I prefer the D/Lab construction personally because it feels like riding a custom board, they feel super light and alive, but they are still extremely strong.

GRIP 4

The 2025 Grip 4 D/Lab stayed with the same shape as the 2024 model, the same as the Grip 3 D/Lab. We will bring a completely new shape by the summer / autumn of 2025.

The Grip 4 is an amazing all-round shape, I usually use it for strong onshore winds such as Pozo or Almerimar, but also in light side offshore as Cape Verde or Maui. I usually use the Grip 3 in onshore medium / light winds or side shore. The best conditions for the Grip 4 for me are side onshore strong winds or normal / light side to side off wave sailing.

SIDE SHORE / SIDE OFF

At Ho’okipa I would normally ride on 4.7m sail with the Grip 4 87L. In Cape Verde I have been using my small Grip 87L and my biggest Grip 4 93L. Mostly I ride the 93L on 5.0m and 5.3m sails. I can use even a bigger board for extreme light winds such as the 99L. I love it when the wind is super light, because it really feels like surfing.

POZO

I have used everything in Pozo over the years, from single, twin, quad and last year the thruster.

I feel like the quad is giving me more control in strong choppy winds, but we are developing a new Grip 3 shape that might be a good option for Pozo as well.

SYLT

My most important board for Sylt is the Grip 3 D/Lab 95L for the light onshore 5.3m weather, followed by the Grip 3 D/Lab 85L and Grip 4 D/Lab 76L for nuking winds.

FINS

When I get a new board, I try to set up my fins after a few sessions of testing and when I find where my favourite place is, I mark the boxes. After that, I always leave them in these positions. I am riding on my Grip 4s with 9cm front fins and 14.5 back fins in most of the sizes, but sometimes 8cm front fins on the smaller sizes such as 76L and the 81L. On my Grip 3, in spots like Sylt I use a 19cm back fin and 11cm front fins on my 95L. In Tenerife or Almerimar I use 18cm back fin because there is less current and the board is more forgiving. On my Grip 3, 85L and 79L, I use 10cm front fins and a 17.5 cm back fin.

FOOT STRAPS

I tend to put my stance quite wide, as I like to ride low and it helps me to put more rail on the water and I also use my straps quite loose to have my foot right in, so my feet can also go in and out of the straps easily. I normally use the first screw position for the front and the second screw starting from the tail.

MAST TRACK

I normally put my base always in the same place, same as the fins, when the board is new, I try to find the best position and I mark it. I have it on the Grip 4, a little bit further forward compared to the Grip 3.

CHILE QUIVER

For a trip to Chile, I would take; Grip 4’s D/Lab 81L and 93L and the Grip 3 D/lab 85. Fins thrusters; 10cm front and 17.5 cm back, fins for Quad: 9cm front and 14.5 cm back.

GRIP 3

The Grip 3 is a safe bet for spots like Almerimar and Tenerife where you have waves with good sections in front of you. The thruster allows me to go very vertical and get tonnes projection through the air moves and it also goes upwind easily.

If the wind is very offshore, I would go for a quad, it allows me to be more in the pocket of the wave but if it is side shore or side on the thruster is my choice right now with the boards we have!

The thruster keeps amazing speed through the turns and it gives a lot of lift and projection for the jumps. I normally put my back fin 1 cm away from the front of the box and the side fins almost all the way back. I ride with 17.5cm and 19cm back fins, and 10cm and 11cm front fins. That is all I use.

WEIGHT

It is super important for me to have light boards, especially in light winds, it allows me to try moves and get more speed quickly, so everything is more fun and effortless.

DESIGN

I am in constant contact with Kai Hopf and the rest of the team to give my feedback on the boards, sails, fins or any other parts of the kit. It is very important for them to know how much time and at which spots I windsurf to get knowledge of how much the gear lasts and my feelings and feedback about the performance.