First week of December, and twenty-eighth edition of the Barcelona Nautical Hall... again with the support of General Optica the Monte Real Club of Yates has a magnificent stand, in which also supports us J & B with an excellent bar, which is the decoy to attract the regalsts and shipowners, which in those years had as the point of "Annual meeting required" the leading sample of Spanish nautical.

In the Hall, as far as the candle is concerned, there was on the table the preparation of the Team of Spain of Admiral's Cup... which was always the subject of discussion between the clubs of Baiona and Barcelona; there was no stop talking about the Quarter Ton Cup of Baiona, nor the surprising achievement of José Luis Suevos, by organizing in Puerto Portals a test of the World Motononautics of the hand of the Monaco Yacht Club and with the participation of nothing less than Casiraghi with his "Gancia dei Gancia."

The curtain, as far as the candle is concerned, was built according to the traditional... the setting of a new edition of the King's Cup. Suevos already had between eyebrows and eyebrows to win the Cup and used almost all its means to achieve it... the only exceptions Puerto Portals, a second edition of the Baileys in El Puerto de Santa María that would no longer have the splendor of 1989 and the sponsorship of the World Cup of Baiona, in which more than sponsorship had been basically a gesture of splendor towards Mount Real, for all the support received in previous years...

The development of the Hall was magnified by many new developments regarding the Quarter Ton Cup, which would make it clear that it would be one of the largest level class of all time. First the Spanish Navy confirms in Barcelona the presence of the "Cote" designed by Pepín González with Jaime Rodríguez Touges to the cane, and that a Judel & Vrolijk, the "Mogor," would be built, which would have an entirely female crew... as there were already "students" in the Naval School.

For its part, the "Catalan army," put on the table two good ships: "Up & Down" by Joquim Barens and "Boulevard Rosa" by Txiqui More... The canary Fernando León convinced Don Felipe and launched the "Salao-BBV"; while Theresa Zabell, Vicky Fumató and Natalia Via Dufresne "enlisted" the Infanta Cristina in the "Don Cotton."

By the way, there was a rumor like the gunpowder that the "girls" had received an offer from "Princess" to sponsor their ship... from a famous brand of female underwear... and that it had apparently been dismissed... we still don't know if it was a "bull..." but the cachondeo was a reality.

I was recorded with a picture of this Hall with Zulema, whom I called and said, "Come and see the boat of Txiqui." I showed it at your stand. (there was the quarter helmet without engine, without ballast or orza)... and I told him we're gonna try to get him up between the two... "Are you crazy?" he apostilated me... we go with me at once and you see... the helmet was a pen, despite its 8 meters length... was of Carbon!We had entered a new era for the competition candle.

On one day of the Hall he told me the unforgettable Humberto Cervera "Piruchi"who was in the Hall the famous naval architect Jean Berretwho he had met in Baiona in an Optic General... at that time he appeared on the Stand del Monte Real, Julio Feo with his wife (the Valencian had been the personal secretary of Felipe González, when he was President of the Government of Spain)... Fee was common in North Wind "Bilitis" armed by Chancho Pintos del Nautico de La Coruña... with whom he maintained a magnificent relationship of friendship...

Well, we all went to Beneteau's stand to show Berret himself one of the new designs to Julio Feo, and another one that came from José Luis Suevos... was a delicious noon... and what surprised us all most was the simplicity and humility of Feo, which was one of the most influential characters in Spain... I remember textually: "I really like the 32 feet, I don't say the 35 anymore but that's for the rich... but my pocket only gives me a 28... I don't think I can get to 30 ″... and it seems that he ended up buying the 28... a political class example, that of those years.

At the beginning of January, he calls me José Luis: "You have to be in Palma on the 25th... come to Madrid the day before and we organize everything, because we meet with Mauro Ravenna who is the comandoro of Monaco and José Eraso... to close everything... call Lola (who was his secretary, most beautiful by the way) and tell him what you need for tickets and accommodation.".

On February 25, it was Zulema's birthday and we also had to prepare for the 26th a DECA press conference at the Melia Castile Hotel... but the work was in charge and left alone in Madrid and it was she who had to ride the Copa América and work alone, "in that house that Pedro Campos had in Madrid next to the M30, on the Calle Caídos de la División Azul... after my stay in Palma I returned raudo to Madrid and I went to the old office annexed to his home... in the middle of the meeting Arturo Delgado arrived that was the president of the Spanish Federation of Vela and commented with irony... go to Peter that neglected you have these offices... call the Milmi who is very friend of yours... surely gives you a luxury reform."

The "press conference" was a total success! There were 15 TV cameras!, with numerous bodyguards of politicians and counselors... I talk to Pedro Campos and say: That's the protocol.... and tells me that Mount Real cannot be in the presidency of the act, because Mendoza will be... I strongly suggest that you change your strategy, otherwise there will be problems.... in the end he gave in and Estanislao Durán was the one who was next to Angel Serrano, who was the CEO of the 5th Centenary, the Convention by which we entered the first support of the State: 100 kilos of that one... and the good of Ramón Mendoza, with whom I by the way came to have a good friendship, sat down without any problem in the group of DEA counselors.

In the first week of April a piece of act is held in Puerto Real, in Spanish Astilleros: "The laying of the gold nail on the keel of the first Spanish ship of Copa América.".. from Madrid a plane is loaded with journalists and celebrities: from José Luis López Vázquez to Marta Sánchez, from Miss Spain to Fernando García Tola... absolutely all press, at national level... politicians also, with high representation of the Consortium of the Fifth Centenary, with Minister Yáñez at the head, Angel Serrano, Espinosa de los Monteros... all of the Government of González.

The anecdote that I have already told you on some occasion, the speech of Don Felipe. In the late '80s, the Prince's field assistant was José Antonio Alcina del Cuvillo... and on the eve of this act he called me: "Can you make me a few lines to read Don Felipe in the act of Puerto Real?"... I immediately got to work and "fax" I sent it to Royal House.

And the custom made me a bad pass, for it said, "As president of the Mount Real Yates Club... (I had eaten the honor thing)"... and the cachondeo to Don Rafael, was total: "It had to be the Prince who took your place, presi". In the evening party in El Convent del Puerto de Santa María, which lasted until late in the morning...

And we arrived on April 18... on the last floor of the missing Mindanao Hotel, the official presentation of the Grand Prix of Spain is celebrated for the World Motonautics. The expected time was 11: 00 in the morning... because the idea was at noon to travel from Barajas to Palma de Mallorca, to organize everything, because that weekend was the event.

Zulema and I were leaving Vigo by plane... by the way, I remember that the Club had given me permission not to stay at the close of the Galician Bank Regatta that coincided in its final... simply because Suevos was a very important character, and the directive of Mount Real made it very clear... but that flight of Aviaco of 07.20 was delayed and I arrived at Mindanao a little after 11: 00 in the morning.

They had waited for me, because I had the posters that had been printed by the way at a La Guardia Graphic Arts Workshop, as well as the folders, dossiers... I greeted the press and hastened the presidential table of the event... I told Milmi and Parrado to sit down and said no, that I did it, representing them.

There we sit José Eraso general director of Puerto Portals, the maximum responsible for L'Oreal in Spain and head of brand of "Dark and Noir" and I... begins the press conference.

After the sponsor's salutation, the technical themes of José, it is my turn to speak to me... I confirm that Don Juan Carlos is going to attend the award, that there will be 20 offshore boats in competition, that will be Adriano Panatta, Stephano Casiraghi... insisting the press on his questions whether Carolina would attend Monaco... and a final question that asks me Juan Chaves editor-in-chief of Hello! Is there any Spanish ship?... and I quickly answered: "John in Spain there is no one in this category of motoronautics, which is tremendously demanding"...

At that time José Luis Suevos interrupted me and said, "You have to forgive him, for he has just arrived from Vigo and has not heard the latest news... as you know I have all won a Rallye de Monte-Carlo and decided to make a match with José Eraso and we will go out together on an Italian ship that has left me."... the way out of the Asturian made José Eraso very angry, who warned him that he didn't like them and that he was not going to let him even one more... The Milmi tried to calm down an angry Eraso for his fantasy, saying he had only wanted to encourage the atmosphere...

And from there for Palma de Mallorca... without time we barely left for Barajas, in that row of Iberia's plane I remember as if it were today... we kept laughing at Milmi's departure, which would already be legendary and would remain for our history... a row in which we were going Perico Sardina, Parrado, Zulema, Marit Larsson (famous journalist of Hello!) and I.

On the one hand, we were on a foot with the San Diego Yacht Club at the American Cup... on the other hand at the Monaco Yacht Club at the World Motonautics World Cup... what happened in Palma had no waste... but his story, we left it for next Friday.

(continued)