In the next week, the first Spanish defiant for the America's Cup... the Monte Real Club of Yates of Baiona will deliver the so-called National Sailing Awards, which is sponsored by my good friend Fonseca Moretón for a few years, who ultimately sponsor one of the best Galician caldos: Teras Gauda.

As the father of the creature, that is of the Awards, it is as the Grand Chief says... "reason for pride and satisfaction"... to see that that invention "made in Moebius", which was very criticized even by the directive of the Royal Mount of those years... for its commercial air... over the years it is worth its weight in gold, and along with the Trophy Prince of Asturias and Of course! with the Count of Gondomar, they are the saint and sign of the Carabela la Pinta Club.

It ran the year 1983 when the "Vento" won the first edition of the Regata Vuelta to Spain... the "one ton 27.5" Manuel Fernández was along with the maxi "Xargo" (German Frers 80 sloop) by Francisco Sitges... the bow masked of Mount Real.

I remember as if it was today the expression of a prestigious Catalan nautical journalist who wrote: "The Royal Mount has it very believed... even its sailor pretends that they are the best nautical club in Spain... for the Xargo and the Vento..."

In that legendary race, to which I expected the super success in 1984 with the presence of the daily TVE cameras throughout the nation at 21.30 hours for a month... the winner's pattern, that is to say the "Vento" It was Pedro Campos who had had an excellent crew, including Javier Gandara and the malograted José Eraso.

It is also true that Fernandez and his wife Charo made some stages... this produced certain friction between shipowner and pattern by the logical protagonism of Cuntis... by intervening the Monte Real as firewall, by organizing a Sailing Awards, with the excuse of "try to fix" the rocks of two of their "stars"... and the truth is, it went out pretty well... because Manolo and Peter, Peter and Manolo collected the award together.

At the same time, a good friend of mine, a partner of the Club and a partner in the selective engineers, Romero, appeared with his brother-in-law... I speak of Fernando García Bermejo, who was the newly appointed delegate in Galicia of a company that sounded to me Chinese: "KPMG Peat Marwick". The three-band meeting at the restaurant of Mount Real... in which the good of Manolo Duarte put us some shrimp from those of the Yates Club... huge! and a good albariño to accompany them.

Bermejo was stuck with the quality of Mount Real and his brother-in-law was still encouraging him to sponsor something to the Club... the bad thing was what Bermejo told us about my commercial attacks: "I see the thing about the sponsored ship interesting and much more about entering the Count of Gondomar... but the company I represent is an auditor and by law we are prohibited from direct advertising".

My joy, and Romero's, in a well... until the spark came up: And a few sailing prizes... like mecenas?... eureka, that's possible!... and so were born the KPMG Peat Marwick Awards, at this friends' lunch... but without the "national" thing.

Those awards were held very successfully, first at the local or regional level (I had a hard time convincing my lords to give awards to friendly clubs or regatists, but rivals) and then at the national level... the theme was growing and growing, because the awards were advertising in their areas of the awards achieved... and what we wanted Fernando and I, it became such a success... that there was a rock between Marca and ABC (with us), by the order that we gave the award of "means of communication of the year"... we had achieved the goal of national prestige!

But the glove was missing. Those who know me know of my admiration and my friendship, by many regatists and shipowners of Portugal... I can proudly say that I was of the founders of the Iate Clube of Porto and that in the Atlantic Sailing Clube of Leixoes I have my home... my friendship is very special with the Rui Moreira Family... carved over many years...

For the Patriarch of the Moreira, Rui (his son is currently the mayor of Porto) It was in the candle one of my great supports... and once again he gave me a decisive hand... in those years when he was the president of the Portuguese Vela Federation... and I explained to him my plan, which was a little Machiavelic, but it could not go wrong.

Phone call... Good morning Rui I have thought of creating a new prize in the KMPG Peat Marwick... one dedicated to the "best ship of Portugal of the year..." if that's okay, we create it but on one condition you come to deliver it!... and Rui's good man approved the idea with enthusiasm, and I extended the request: "I know you're a good friend of the president of the Spanish, of Arturo Delgado... I'm going to invite him... and you press him to come to Baiona to the ceremony... and we surprise him to deliver the prize to the best ship... of Spain... so we officialize the subject..."

That's it. The good of Arturo realized the lock-in at the very moment of giving the prize... he came to me and lovingly dedicated me a qualification that I do not reproduce... but that amen of the word involved a lot of affection... because I admire and appreciate it...

Long Life to the National Sailing Awards... Guda Wars!