· In the year in which their silver jubilee is celebrated, the crew that placed Galicia on the international sailing map will receive the Terras Gauda National Sailing Award for the best sports project
The Galicia 93 Pescanova will be distinguished for having achieved a podium position in the Whitbread Round the World 93-94 with an entirely Spanish team led by Javier de la Gándara from Vigo
· The Terras Gauda National Sailing Awards will be presented on September 7 at the Monte Real Club de Yates, the place from which 25 years ago the Galicia 93 Pescanova left to make history
The gala of Premios Nacionales de Vela Terras Gauda will pay tribute next September 7 in Baiona to the Galicia 93 Pescanova, the boat that 25 years ago placed the Galician community on the international sailing map after achieving a podium position in the Whitbread Round the World 93-94.
Five decades after that feat, the team led by Javier de la Gándara from Vigo will receive a distinction for the best sports project at the Monte Real Club de Yates, the club that saw him leave Galicia to make history.
This is a new and well-deserved recognition for a major project that marked a before and after for sailing in Spain and for a crew that managed to conquer the seas aboard a WOR60 known as ” the flying fish” .
The boat, designed by Bruce Farr and built at the Armada de Vigo shipyards, brought together 16 sailors, 7 of them Galician, under the command of De la Gándara. Chuny Bermúdez from Coruña, Jaime Arbones, Marcos Iglesias, Juan Zarauza and Ñaco Eraso from Vigo, and Carlos Sampedro from Baiona; Barcelonans Jan Santana, Joan Vila, Nando Muñoz and Guillermo Altadill joined; Pichu Torcida and Toño Piris from Santander; Victor Unzueta from Cadiz, Paco Fernández from Alicante and Santi Portillo from Malaga.
With the encouragement of the Galician Sailing Federation, the institutional support of the Xunta de Galicia through the Xacobeo and the sponsorship of Pescanova, on May 7, 1993, the launching of the ship was held in Vigo, with the Infanta Cristina as godmother. who would participate in the Whitbread Round the World 93-94. Days later, the Galicia 93 Pescanova left the Monte Real Club de Yates for La Rochelle to take part in the Tour of Europe, which it won; and later in the Fastet Race, where they achieved the first victory for Spain in the legendary regatta. They were “training” for his great goal, which was to win the world tour.
On September 25, from Southampton, the starting point of the sixth edition of the race, they began to forge the legend. Until then, Spain had only participated in a trip around the world on 3 occasions (with the Licor 43 in the 81-82 edition, with the Fortuna Lights in 85-86, and with the Fortuna Extra Lights in 89-90), but this was the first time he did it with an entirely Spanish project, with Spanish sponsorships and crew, which would manage to get on the podium.
Ahead, almost 32,000 miles that meant an adventure, or “madness” as many branded it. They finished the first stage in second place, in the second stage they suffered delamination of the ship’s hull, and despite the fact that some gave it all up for lost, they continued. They fell to fourth place in the classification and in the fifth stage they managed to climb to third position, in which they would finally finish the test.
They made history. And the Galicia 93 project will remain forever in the memory of sailing enthusiasts. His impact, both sporting and social, was immense and his tribute, 25 years later, more than deserved. They will receive it in Baiona, on September 7, at the Terras Gauda National Sailing Awards gala, which is held within the framework of the 34th Prince of Asturias Trophy organized by the Monte Real Yacht Club and the Military Naval School. They will receive the award for the best sports project.
