Fernando, better known as Pololo, started sailing Snipes at the local fleet in Montevideo, Uruguay, at a young age. His sailing quickly improved, and he became more serious about competing at a higher level. Fernando represented Uruguay at several Snipe World Championships between 1985 and 1994. From the Snipe Class, he moved into the Soling Class, and, in 2000, competed in the Soling World Championship and Pre-Olympic regattas.
Though his love for the sea turned him into an expert delivery captain with several Atlantic crossings under his belt, his passion for racing took precedent. He remained involved in the local ORC fleet and won the classic Rolex South Atlantic circuit several times and the ORC World Championship in 2005.
Fernando's enthusiasm for one-design racing is kept alive by trimming on several J/70 campaigns. As a sail consultant, his areas of greatest expertise are big boats rigs, sail handling systems, and multihull sails.