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What they are saying about Vela Margarita....

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5/19/05
Every year I return to Margi and spend about a month there! This year was even better than the last, as it has been for 9 years in a row now!

Each time I visit I meet more new friends, and a bunch of fellow sailors/staff from years past, this makes for a great experience sharing the fun of windsurfing and drinking/dining with all of them! So many fun people!

This year I felt like one of the locals, and had an awesome time sharing the carribean experience with my friends at Vela, thru photos and daily journal entries, onto my web site (www.tts-inc.com) while I was there from mid March to mid April this year!

I love windsurfing, but as a bigger sailor, I need some wind to get me on plane, and in Margarita, I can simply wait for the perfectly scheduled afternoon 25-30+ mph winds to ride the smaller stuff I love to ride! Margi is so awesome at the clockwork wind!

I like to spend the time before the wind comes up by taking photos of everyone sailing by, while I stand in the warm sandy shallows of the El Yaque bay! I have witnessed more tricks, jumps, and freestyle moves, than most any sailor, all done within a couple mastlengths of me while standing out there taking photos! What an amazing view! Special thanks to the local pros and too many friends/guests to mention for all the awesome visuals! Hope I snapped some good pictures of you! I posted the best on the site.

I keep coming back, cause it is so consistant when it comes to wind! I had 33 sailing days booked, and had wind enough for 6.0M sailing every day, and about 31 of the 33 days I was on 5's or less! For a 220lb sailor, that is awesome stats! I think over the 9 years, my average is like 92% of days booked to days sailed on a 6M or less!

With the awesome staff, and so many friendly people, it's a destination I love to visit every year! Care to join me again next year?

Tim Walker

4/22/05
Thanks to all our friends at Vela Margarita and Los Roques for another great trip. Familiar faces, great gear, terrific service, wind, convenience, and us, who could ask for more.

Lynn and Ginny McCanse

07/07/04
Thanks to everyone on Margarita for taking me from absolute beginner to intermediate windsurfer during the month of May, 2004. The folks at Vela, as well as others around El Yaque beach put up with my often bruised and defeated attitude and carried me from learning to uphaul on the biggest board available to beginning to initiate gybes on one of the shorter boards in stock. Learning to windsurf is tough, and making that kind of progress within a month was a real challenge for me, but I don’t think I would have been able to do it anywhere else.

First off, Simona Dilevrano was top notch. Even though I was pretty hopeless at the beginning, she took the challenge and patiently took me from one step to the next. We had lessons a few times a week, I sat in on her free clinics, and she kept an eye on me constantly. She took me to the next step once I’d made a breakthrough and gave me support when I was on the edge of a breakdown. She’s really quite a good instructor, and lays out the process logically and patiently for those coming up the curve.

Tom and Kathy Mastbaum of Vela and Gerry Porri at the Café Local were also very helpful to my effort. All three of them got the benefit of seeing (and subsequently laughing uncontrollably at) some of my most heinous, death-defying wipeouts. However, they all gave me tips and taught me about finer points that helped me along. (I also owe Gerry a huge debt of gratitude for some truly spectacular meals to keep me going— I was shocked at how good the food was)

Having also just windsurfed on Maui, I think it was this kind of blanket instruction on Margarita that really set the place apart. It was great being able to get out of the water and find Simona on the beach, Tom and Kathy or the other guys at the Vela desk, or Gerry at his bar and get advice from people that know the sport inside and out. It’s the kind of place that just feels like you’ve been there for years. I’d say about 65% of the people I met there in May were repeat guests, and in hindsight it’s probably this homey feel that keeps people coming back.

One more person worth mentioning in particular has to be Marabelle, the masseuse. If it wasn’t for her talented hands I might have had to take even more downtime than I did. In the space of a month my aging body took a lot of punishment, and I have Marabelle to thank for being able to keep going.

If you need a place to make some serious progress in a short amount of time, I think Margarita is a great bet. Although some might say that there are better places to windsurf around the world (having only been to a few it’s hard for me to judge), from my standpoint it was truly a perfect place to learn. The combinations of great people and a beautiful place, awesome food and good fun, and consistent wind and warm water made a tough effort a really enjoyable vacation. Thanks to everyone down there and can’t wait to get back.

Norm Waite
Hong Kong

05/19/04
Thanks Tom, Kathy, Bernardo, "Wicho", Alex, Jose "Caraca", Douglas & Simona for a great time. Great friendly service, consistent wind (21 straight days of 3.7 to 5.7), excellent food & drink and very nice people (locals & vistors). This was my second visit to Margarita. Back in '96 we flew direct to Porlamar. I was initally a little concerned about Caracas. Flying into & overnighting near Caracas Airport was as safe as any major city. Any concerns, I recommend using the meet-greet service (thanks Hans Peter). The convenience & nice helpful staff (thanks Mama Mona) of the El Yaque Beach Hotel made my stay a very pleasant experience. Wind, gear & location of the center makes Vela Margarita the best surf destination I've visited. Add great food, good times & meeting many new people made this trip more than a windsurfing vacation.
Hasta el proximo ano!!

Noel
Bayview Township, Bayfield, WI

05/19/04
Hey, we had a GREAT first trip to Margarita! A long way from Oregon but worth the trip. Peter's "Meet and Greet" help in Caracas was indispensable, definitely recommended!
El Yaque . . . what a quaint beach community! We really enjoyed the accommodations and helpful staff at the Casa Rita . . . plenty of room and privacy, great views. The windsurfing venue a Vela is terrific, reminiscent of sailing in the Gorge (but warmer!)- grab your gear and after a few yards across a sandy beach you get to blast off on a port tack reach with the reliable easterly trades providing the power. Sail sizes for us during our 9 day stay ranged from 4.2 to 6.4; we sailed every single day and were delighted to have plenty of wind throughout. The Vela staff were a big help, and someone was always there to help you with your gear as you stumbled in satisfied exhaustion back to the storage area after hours on the water. The food was delicious, cheap, and abundant. We rarely ate at the same place twice and were never disappointed. Fresh grouper, chateau briand, pizza, tropical fruit, you name it . . . good variety and a full dinner with drinks and tip generally less than $15-20 for two! . . . and everything within easy walking distance. And of course, we had a great time making new friends (and renewing old acquaintances . . . Victor and Sharon!), some from far away, some surprisingly nearby! Tom and Kathy, thanks for putting together such a great place for a wind vacation: you have a wonderful staff. We are looking forward to next time . . . and maybe a shot at Coche and Los Roques too!
Blessings,

James and Jan Brauer
Hood River, OR

05/01/04
We spent April 10-25 at the El Yaque Beach Hotel, and sailed at Vela every day. The hotel is comfortable. Ramona, the desk person is a warm helpful person, all the staff are lovely. Our room looked right out on the sailing area, and we got to listen to the sounds of the beach bar every day at sunset while watching a few diehards out on the water. We had a tab with Jerry at the Beach Bar and consumed many, many fresh tropical fruit drinks every day.

You can't get a bad dinner in El Yaque--favorite places are Hotel California, El Yaque Beach Hotel, the Hotel where Happy SurfPool is (name?), and the little Italian restaurant opposite the Hotel--where you can eat before 7 p.m. if like us, you're starving, also Atti's at Casa Rita, which has fabulous beef. Our tab ran 20-25 for two. Breakfast is provided at the hotel on the pleasant patio overlooking the beach, and for lunch we just drank juices at Jerry's and the Beach Bum bar near Happy SurfPool, where we also opened an account -- cheap and wonderful.

If you happen to be a bird watcher, spend $45 at Borders before you go, and get Birds of Venezuela, then walk up to the woodsy area above the Hotel California, and stand around in the morning before sailing. You should easily see 5 or 6 new birds, and they are curious--will come pretty close to you.

Now for the important stuff--Tom and Kathy are wonderful people and great hosts. Their crew is first rate--please remember to leave a tip for them when you leave--they are right there to help you out when you need it. They are also super sailors--watch for the tricks when they get to hit the water. Vic and I wanted to learn/get better at the fast tack, so we sat in on the morning talk by Simona. (These talks are given to the clients free every morning on different topics.) Vic improved as a result and I nailed my first real ones on a small board, hooray. I had hoped for the duck jibe, but had to content myself with doing it on the trainer. We watched some of the lessons Simona was giving, and her students from beginners up to really good sailors, were having a good time and making progress

You need to see the equipment there to believe it--We have sailed at Aruba, the Gorge, Maui, Bonaire, San Fran, South Padre and Hatteras, but have found NOTHING to equal the setup and equipment. They have boards for all conditions, and PLENTY of them, sails for all conditions and PLENTY of them. You never fight for equipment. The condition of boards, footstraps, decking, and sails is fabulous. What a joy to choose your board from many, take it right out on the beach, get the right sail, perfectly set up, plop it all right into the water and go!!! If you guessed wrong, changing anything is sooo easy, and you're right out there again, sailing. As I said, we sailed every day. Found that often the wind picks up in the afternoon, but it was sailable even if you needed biggish stuff in the morning. Conditions can be choppy if it's blowing, there is no shore break at all, wind is side shore, and there is no wind shadow, the bottom is all sand, it is shallow way out!

excellent spot to bring someone who wants to start the sport. The big cruisers, little sails, and good instruction are the way to start on the flat easy water.
We went to Coche one morning, but there was no wind--it needs maybe 10 mph more than El Yaque to be good, we were told, so we went right back and sailed at El Yaque that afternoon.

We spent two days at Los Roques at Nelly's Posada. There is no way to adequately describe this National Park Archipelago. Brightly painted houses on dirt streets--no cars--many guest houses and small restaurants. People extremely friendly--may not all speak English--but will find someone who does. From the main island, you get a water taxi in the morning to go to the island of your choice. We went to the Vela setup both days with our super guide Elias. Just he and his girlfriend to cater to the two of us all day--we felt like royalty. First off, paddle across to another island in one of the kayaks, then walk across with your snorkle (provided by Vela) and get into the water where they tell you, drift down the reef for 45 minutes, and see the most fabulous underwater fish and corals you probably will ever see anywhere. Bring a neoprene vest if you have one, you get cool staying in the water that long, even though it's warm water. After you paddle back, have the lunch provided by Nelly's in the shade overlooking the most beautiful water you can ever find--the colors are totally amazing. Then go sail on it, with excellent Vela gear. You can even sail to another island, just watch for the reefs. At exactly the hour you have told the water taxi, they will be there to zip you back to the main island.

If you don't speak Spanish, don't worry--they write it down on a slip of paper so you can't go wrong, and they are very reliable. This side trip is a bit expensive with flight and all, so bring those Travelers' checks to Margarita, and do make the trip if you possibly can. It is a once in a lifetime thing. Even if you only go for one day and night, you should do it. Oh, birdwatchers--more birds there--TONS of pelicans, also brown boobies, and small warblers in the bouganvillea at rooftop of Nelly's second house.
Bring your book. We found that having some American money, some 1, 5, and 20's was helpful. The bolivar is weak, and the local people are glad to take dollars--the nice freshwater pearls peddled on the beach can be bought for dollars, tips to maids, and waiters, etc.

Do take the help from Peter in Caracas. Well worth it, even to just change airlines. Margarita is a super place to sail. We plan to return. Hope you have as much fun as we did!!!

Thank you Tom and Kathy!!!!

Vic and Sharon Benveniste
Gloucester, Ma

04/04
We just got back from our 5th, and perhaps best, trip to Vela Margarita. The wind was fantastic and the staff was welcoming and determined to please. We took both of our kids (ages 4 years and 17 months) and my mother (a little babysitting support) and everyone enjoyed it. While the travel is a drag because of the time it takes and the crazy airline schedules, once you are there it is all WELL worth it. No problems in Caracas or elsewhere. We also figured out that our entire family (of 5) spent only about $60 US a day while we were there (in addition to the prepaid rentals and hotel). What a deal!
Thanks to Tom and Kath, Roxy, and the entire Vela staff for a memorable time in paradise!

Caroline and Eric
El Cerrito, CA

03/18/04
Hey Tom, Kathy & staff!
Thanks a tonne for making my recent Marg adventure a rippin' success. I'm 100% on sailing days in 8 trips to Vela! I've been back in Calgary for almost 4 days now, and I still can't get the BSG (big silly grin) off my face! Shred on!
Lorenzo

03/02/04
Just want a thanks all the crue at Vela Margarita. I was there for a week in March and it was great. The surfing conditions helped a lot. We had great wind all the time but on top of that, the staff were super nice. It didn't start that great because it was a last minute booking and flight and hotel were a mess. Everything was fully booked, but once we got there Tom and Kathy took really good care of us and fixed everything. Thanks again guys! I will be back soon see you soon.
Eric

02/27/04
For some recent Margarita action, check out the 'El Yaque Breeze' web page. www.downhaul.com/users/timewalks/index.html
I am here again this year and will try to post daily media to the site each nite. Some pics and video, along with some audio comments. Just got here Mon. the 23rd, so the site is still in progress, but check back often to see the latest. So far the wind has been great, on a 6 or less since I arrived! For a 220lb'er, that is awesome! Come on down and SAIL!

02/27/04
My 12 year old son and I just returned from Margarita. This was my 5th trip to El Yaque, and my son’s first trip. We had a great time, and I think Vela was the perfect windsurfing site for both of us.

In the past I had rented gear with Natalie Simon, with Planet Windsurf, and a couple of other locations. I found the setup at Vela to be better than I had found at the other sites. I sailed all 7 days that I was on the island. There was never a time that I didn’t have the board that I wanted, and there was only a 10 minute time when the sail size that I wanted wasn’t available. The boards and sails looked brand new (I think they were). There was plenty of variety to choose from, and I ended up sailing on both the JP boards and the F2 boards. Good attention to details by the Vela crew. The harness lines were fully adjustable, and set in the correct position. The foot straps were new and easily adjustable. My only equipment complaint is that I thought that the Neil Pryde battens are difficult to pop from one side to the other. It took too much effort for me to pop the foot batten, and I ended up letting the wind rotate it once I was getting onto a plane. Maybe that’s because the sails were brand new, maybe that is how they are supposed to work.

Jim
Portland, Oregon

01/06/04
Attention fellow windsurfers, let’s talk economics: Vela Margarita is by far and away the best windsurfing value in the Caribbean. I just spent an ENTIRE MONTH windsurfing 4-6 hours every day for $1650. Wait; let me say that another way: for what many of us pay for rent and expenses every month in the United States you can live like a "king" in Margarita!

Karl at the Vela reservation office put everything together for me with a couple of emails and a phone call. He coordinated my flight from Caracas to Porlamar. He suggested the "meet and greet service" (which is well worth the $20) in Caracas where a friendly local Vela representative will get you through the Caracas airport with ease by speaking Spanish to all the locals!

Finally, once you’re at the Vela center on Margarita you get to experience what 15+ years of dedicated professional experience and knowledge Tom and Kathy provide every customer. Unlimited selection of perfectly rigged equipment and boards, totally organized shop with any other equipment you might need (gloves, booties, licra tops, etc.), and amazing windsurfing instruction from qualified instructors (thank you Simona for all the perfect lessons!!). The whole staff is hard-working, friendly, and professional.

The last thing I recommend is taking a 2-3 day excursionary trip from Margarita to Los Roques. This was the best few hundred dollars I've ever spent in my life. I've seen many parts of the world but never have I seen such crystal clear water and perfect white sand beaches as I did on Los Roques. The snorkeling and windsurfing in this national park of hundreds of islands will blow your mind. Thanks guys for such a great trip, see you next year!!!

Aron McEvoy
Logan, Utah

12/15/03
You will not be disappointed with a Vela Windsurfing vacation on Margarita at “El Yaque Beach” with Tom-Kathy & Staff. We experienced the best windsurfing trip ever. With conditions of warm and swallow waters are the best for all levels. We were so surprised at the ambiance setting of the beach, water front bars, palm trees etc, the pictures are not anywhere close to the reality of this perfect windsurf resort setting.
We started with the meet & greet (Peter) because we had to over night in Caracas, this service it well worth it for your first time, we saved time & money plus had a peace of mind. Everything from; expected taxi fares, exchange rates, sight seeing, dining out etc.
We over stayed over night on both ends at Hotel Santiago in Caracas at $20 a very safe and great hotel and restaurant, the rooms are small but it’s only over night. Peter was there first thing in the morning on time to take us back to the airport for the quick short flight to Margarita Island. Make sure you take lots of US cash and listen to Peter as to how & where to exchange it, we had 2400 to 2600 Bolivia’s to the dollar compared to 1600 the tourist way.
It is so inexpensive to eat out at all of the restaurants we never stayed in. Our bill was $35 each for ten days of lunch and après surf drinks.... crazy cheap, and healthy good food.
The El Yaque Beach Hotel and staff are so nice and very accommodating. Mona on reception is like a mother, she did everything to make that side of our stay very comfortable.
Now as for the windsurfing….. The beachfront Vela counter doesn’t get easier for your sails and boards. The staff is the friendliest and most helpful you could get, with a nice mix of styles. I want to thank Simona for taking me from a pure beginner to: water starts, hook in and foot straps all within 4 days, plus Bernie and Alex for their support and clinics. Tom and Kathy have a great team there. The winds blew every day consistently and there was a couple of days when the worlds top three free style windsurfers came out to practice their moves to give us all inspiration. The wind blows less in the mornings and picks up in the afternoon making it perfect to excel throughout the day

The only problem is…we didn’t have enough time to stay and enjoy life, So we’ll be back!!

Bruce & Alison, Vancouver, Canada

07/05/03
This was our third year with Vela / Margarita. I just can't imagine a better place in the world for a windsurf vacation. Yes, the Gorge is awesome, but........warm water, friendly staff, top of the line equipment located only feet away from the beach, beach chairs w/ shade, cheap happy hour prices, great food, pleasant locals, and the WIND BLOWS AND BLOWS AND BLOWS. If you are a windsurfer, whether beginner or advanced, this is a place to check out.
Donna &Kevin
Durango,Co

04/27/03
Just like to thank Tom and Cathy and all great staff ( Bernie, Wicho, Alex and Simona) for my great 2 weeks of Sailing. Now that I'm home I'm wishing I was still there, had to drive through a record snowfall to get home, quite a contrast from 12 hours earlier. I thought I would tell anyone wanting to go, but worring about traveling through or overnighting at the Caracas airport that I had no trouble. I normally fly direct to Porlamar on a charter flight, but this year flew via Maquetia Airport commonly referred to as the Caracas airport. I took advantage of the Meet And Greet service Vela has available and would advise anyone with any doubts to take advantage of this service. We were met at the airport by Peter, who was holding a Vela sign with our names on it. From there he drove us to a hotel, The Hotel Santiago, about a 5 minute drive from the airport.He did all the checking in for us (it came to about $27 for a room for 2) and then arranged a time to pick us up in the morning. The room was clean and quiet and secure. In the morning Peter picked us up and returned us to the airport, he has it down pat. He did all the flight arrangments for us, got our boarding passes, all we had to do was walk through security and board our plane! On our arrival to Porlamar we were met by Martha who drove us to our hotel in El Yaque. It can't get anymore foolproof than this. If you are just passing through the airport instead of staying over night you can also use this service, Peter will meet you and walk you to the checkin at the other terminal as he did for a friend of ours that arrived later. Sailing as usual was great. I can't think of another place as consistantly windy, cheap, (if you think it was reasonable before you should see it now) and with such great people. Can't wait for next Year. Feel free to email me if you have any Questions.
Gerry Sparks
Slave Lake Alberta Canada
gsparks@telusplanet.net

3/30/03
We had a great two weeks March 7th - 24th This was our 11th visit and it was the best ever. Wind was wonderful for both wind surfing and kiting. We had no problems getting there due to the political situation and there was nothing lacking on the island itself. Gas was cheap there was plenty of water and the food was as wonderful as ever. All of the same friendly faces were there at Vela and in the hotels and resturants. We highly recommend it!!!!
Lynn and Ginny McCanse
Kansas City , MO

03/21/03
We returned from Margarita to 3 feet of snow and lots of work -- every day we are wishing we were back on the beach. We were there (with our 18month old son) the last week in Feb/first week in March. It was fantastic. The travel was no problem (we overnighted in Caracas) and we saw no effects from the strikes etc. Everyone at Vela and the Beach Hotel was wonderful, and really went out of their way to help us out and take care of us. Special thanks to Kathy for the diapers and Mona at the Beach Hotel for everything. The food at the hotel was excellent -- we were able to put the kid to bed and dine on the veranda with the baby monitor there. Or son loved going to the Windy Kids Club (a day care center two hotels down) in the afternoons. The wind blew every day for 14 days straight while we were there and the biggest sail I used was a 5.0! We are already planning next year's trip.
Jim, Sari and Noah
Boulder, Colorado

03/19/03
Just got home after my 5th trip to Margarita. Ten straight days of sailing, all 5.2 to 4.2 days. It never fails too amaze me that there are no bad days at Margarita. I've never found another place in the world that the wind is as reliable. It's also a great place to learn to kitesurf as I found out for my first experience at that sport. Thanks to Robbie, I had great instruction and a great experience. I can't wait to come back and try kitesurfing again from El Yaque Island! The wind, the food (where else can you have a full course meal and drinks for 10-12 USD?) and the great staff at Vela never fail to provide a great trip.
Larry Gleason Hometown: Eagan, Minnesota

03/18/03
I returned from Margarita on March 11, to find -10C weather that everyone claimed was "warm". I had to leave again the next day for Washington DC, and traveling through Washington National airport made me realize how easy and relaxing transiting through Caracas had been! Really, the transfer through Caracas is MUCH less hassle than using any American airport these days. I was traveling alone, and on the spur of the moment, and I didn't even have a plane ticket from Caracas to Margarita - I just bought one on the spot. People are friendly and helpful, local tickets are very cheap and easy to buy, so just get to Caracas and you can be in El Yaque literally within an hour if your timing is right! And once you get there, you are in for a treat: perfect windsurfing every single day, plenty of brand new equipment ideally suited for the local conditions (and you don’t even have to rig your sail, yay!!!), and fantastic lessons – what could be better? You can learn new ! tricks in the morning when the water is Aruba-flat, and play in the swell in the afternoon when the wind really kicks in. The instruction is outstanding, whether you want to listen to Tom’s free clinics, or get out on the water and learn to jibe with Simona or to loop with Robby. I was also very impressed to see that couples with little kids could actually get out on the water and sail together, and even leave for a whole day for a trip to Coche, because their kids were happily spending their days playing together at a local kindergarten. So – a huge thank you to the whole crew at Vela Margarita – thank you to Bernardo and Alex and Wicho for all the gear help and for shortening about 1000 harness lines for me – and to Simona for always knowing exactly the right gear to choose – and to Robby for the AWESOME lessons – and to Tom for all the advice with tricks – and to Kathy for looking after me the whole time I was there! I can’t wait to go back. Anyone out there who’s reading this – go and see for yourself, you’ll be happy you did!
If you wan't more info, feel free to email me.
Julie from Montreal
julie.desbarats@mcgill.ca

03/09/03
After 20 years of chasing wind we have found windsurfing's paradise- Vela Margarita. It has everything you could ask for: warm water, sun, and wind that never stops blowing. Tom's free clinics are worth the price of the trip and Simona's lessons make a dramatic difference within minutes on the water. The Beach hotel staff are wonderful and make the extra expense well worth it. The food at Jerry's restaurant is better than you can find in the states. We had no problems in the airports and actually were impressed at how smoothly our connections went compared with those in Atlanta. We would advise people to avoid the Best Western Hotel in Caracas- we were another in a series of clients who arrived there and had to pay $137 again because they somehow "lost/never received" our original payment. As we sit today in the pouring rain/ 40 degree temperature, our only regret is that we only stayed for a week- it is definitely a two week minimum vacation.
John & Jennifer Buckmiller Hometown
Seattle, WA

2/28/03
I'm the lucky guy Tom has refered to in his postings, with 45 days here in Margarita! I have had 6 previous visits here in the last six years, and can't write enough about how much fun it is to windsurf here! I had a day and a half of travel to get here. No problems along the way. And I would say one of the most efficent I have yet to experience! No signs of any 'unrest' through the 20 min. ride thru towns and to my hotel 'The Santiago' when I overnighted near the Maiquetia airport. Travel here is not a problem.
The wind has been as constant as always, and us heavier folks really like the support constant 25+MPH winds gives! 5.0 and less each day so far! I would love to share the Margarita experience, I am currently posting daily jpg photos, avi video, and a short text describing the day, to a web site.
Those interested can visit the Margarita Virtual Vacation website at: www.downhaul.com/users/timewalks/index.html The media is rather large, so there is a link on the site to a faster/smaller pics page as well.
For those who can't make here this year, you can at least get a peek from your computer chair! And for those of you on the fence, maybe this will get you to come on down! I'm willing to share some of the excellent equipment!
Tim Walker

2/28/03
After one week in cold and dark Stockholm I am still trying to "land" after the wonderful time we had at Margarita. You were all great and made us feel very welcome, a big plus for us were the situation that made the beech almost empty although we hope that it now has changed and you are all booked and have plenty of work. We are acctually already discussing to come back again..... Alex: we got some really "speedy" pictures of you we´ll try to send some over. Bernie: Sorry we missed to say goodbye (good for me cause I hate to do so)but we will be back:) Got to go back to reeding books. It is horrible, do the teachers really believe that we can manage to do all this in no time?
Big warm hug from a cold Stockholm
Lollo and Niklas

2/24/03
We just returned from a 8 day stay in Margarita. We stayed at Casa Rita (very nice place) and of course got gear from Tom and Kathy at Vela. There was no sign of the recently ended strike other than a devalued Bolivar, resulting in very cheap food and beer. Wind was great - sailed 7 straight days, ranging from a 6.4 down to 4.2. And I weigh 230 lbs, so you can imagine what the wind was like. Margarita is an amazing place. My only regret is that I did not book for 2 or 3 weeks.
--Scott

2/24/03
Having not windsurfed for many years, I asked around for the best place to get back into the sport. Margarita was at the top of everyone's list. I booked the second and third weeks of February, '03. How was it? Let's start with the one negative. The flight from the Bay Area was long. But the dreaded overnight connection in Caracas was a piece of cake. I simply marched past the hustlers in the lobby out to the official cab stand. A friendly cabby standing in front of his immaculate cab told me the fare to the Hotel La Parada was $8. Thus, began two weeks of exceptional hospitality and personal service. My accommodations at Casa Rita were first-rate. A Bay Area food snob might find fault with the local cuisine but I didn't. I had fresh sea food every meal. You say "cut to the chase, how was the sailing?" First things first, I hadn't sailed for a decade. Simona, a Vela instructor, evaluated my skill level and put together a reentry program that propelled me up the learning curve. All of the staff gave me constant encouragement and advice. The clinics were great. Best of all, it blew every day. Check out the iwindsurf.com sensor at the Porlamar airport. There was never a day under 20 mph. The wind on the water was definitely higher. Instead of writing on and on about Margarita's fantastic windsurfing and the professionals at Vela, I say go! If you haven't been on a board in awhile, Margarita is the place to get back on. Just do it! You can thank me when you get back.
Stanton Morris
stan@stansworld.com

2/21/03
Just got back today after 8 wonderful days at the Beach Hotel at El Yaque! Sailed every day with a full range of wind conditions each day. 4.0 to 6.4 sails. Light in morning, blasting in afternoon. Staff was great. It was sad to see so few sailers there, because it is so hard on these people economically. It was wonderful for us, because the sailing was great and uncrowded. We sensed no difficulty from the political situation, and most locals felt that things were getting back to normal.
Bob Bachelder

2/16/03
Just returned from four glorious days at Margarita. As always, the wind ripped Gorge-like to 30+ every day. Strike....what strike? Plenty of cold Polars, CocaCola; no shortages; no problems at all connecting through Caracas airport. Once again, Vela´s staff makes it a great, friendly experience.... Bernie thanks for the hospitality, Alex, we will send you some music, Simone thanks so much for the jibe lessons. Once again my old teacher Robby, now teaching me to kite with Jorg (how´s your leg?). Miss you guys already. Ok, rest of the world get down there if you like great wind boarding/kiting before it gets crowded again. Charles Dow & Jen Held

input name: Moe
Hometown: Providence, Rhode Island
Email: moemoeg@yahoo.com
Vela Destination: Margarita
comments; 2/10/03 I arrived last week and plan to stay until the end of the month. The windsurfing, as always, is amazing. I hesitated in coming until things calmed a bit in Venezuela. I would encourage anyone to come now that the strike for the most part has been halted. The airport outside of Caracas seemed normal. The flight on aeropostal also no problem. Margarita outside of Yaque has been affected by the political situation, mostly economically it seems to me. I feel as safe as ever in Porlamar and the rest of the island away from Yaque. El Yaque is quiet but as normal as can be expected. Please email me with any questions if you are on the fence about coming. To repeat, this cautious, somewhat nurdy obsessive traveler says " come without reservation."

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