The late 70's and early 80's were a fundamental part of modern Spain... from the setting up of a democratic constitution, to the first free elections, to the attempt to blow Tejero or to the conquest of the power of the socialists... everything was new...

Spanish society was very close to its entry into the European Community... the winds of modernity and freedom all over the place... and the nautical was no stranger to this historic "move" that wanted to archive Spain in black and white.

The one that was the meeting point and that today the independent people have sent to the garbage container: the Nautical Hall of Barcelona... was the crucible of the struggle for overcoming, it was the annual opportunity for the Spanish candle to meet, it was the opportunity to exchange impressions, it was the opportunity for the great news and ultimately to continue to overcome the old bar.

1980 had already been revolutionary in the unforgettable Catalan event, with the eruption of "windsurfing..." with a Bic exhibition that left us all in the open. New winds were blowing, and with what strength!... the ship shopping operations were constant... the post competitions appeared everywhere... Who doesn't remember the presentation in society of those serious designs by Van de Sty under the name DB1?.. had been born the fever of the "three quarters of tons" by virtue of a piece of world which was approaching in Mediterranean waters... in Denia.

For Galicia we were not strangers to the great move that began. Francisco Quiroga supported by José María García Lastra and through him Pedro Campos, and a young Javier de la Gandara put in orbit the Ferroman shipyard of Astafersa that had the one who was conselleiro with Manuel Fraga: a Juan Fernández.

In Astafessa were built several three quarters of tons with Dubois design: "Armeigin." or "Shoulders" of Salvador Barreiro, the "Masty."... as well as the one ton. "Sirius II" by the Navy and "Black Hawk." of Ricardo Cruzado... half a ton "Xeito de Antas" or the catamaran "La Santa Maria," to give some examples... as well as an attempt to Galician monotypethat was born with a lot of force... but that it was self-extinguished... the result of each new unit being different from the previous... crazy things of the time.

At the level of nautical publications there were two powerful magazines: that of the unforgettable Nino Beguetti based in Barcelona... "Yacht and Motonautics" and the one that was based in the capital of Spain, edited by a great Santanderino publicist and one of the best people I've ever known: Federico Arias... "Bitácora". The trio was completed, of course! by one of the brightest fighters of the Spanish candle, as it is. Enrique Gómez Curt.

They were rivals, but as Garcia said, eye to eye!... everyone pulled the car in the same way. In Madrid the team work of Federico, supported by his "rib" Carmen, his sister, Alfonso Jorno and Diez Merry, Fernando Roca, Ignoto, Nicolás Terry, Fernando Castiñeira, Miguel Angel Roselló, me... and especially by José Ramón Guimerans... was starting to shine.

And the year 1982 came, magical because of the appearance of González, the World Cup, of the illusion of being within the EEC... generating a desire to live, a tremendous illusion in all the Spaniards. From the hand of the idea of Jordana and mine is born what would be the Regata Vuelta to Spain... that is presented at the Annual Dinner of the Monte Real Club of Yates of Baiona on the Christmas of that year and that from the beginning it is supported, especially in Galicia (of the hand of Monte Real), in Andalusia (Nicolás Terry and Juan Pemán) and Catalonia (Toni Tió, Jan Santana, Javier Visiers and Enrique G.Curt).

In which the first edition was the goal of achieving a reasonable success, which was not little... and already in 1984 the performance of TVE was spectacular... that programming at 21.30 on TVE 1 made the candle rise as foam. There were such returns as "Pescanova" with more than 20 million pesetas of valuation!the "Atlantic Bank" exceeded the figure and of course the "Fortuna..." but mistakes were made and serious, and all the illusion generated was thrown overboard...

TVE had collected the number of 75 million pesetas for emitting more than 20 spaces of 10 minutes in "prime time" in its first chain... but I assure you that it was the biggest business the Spanish candle did in its history... in addition to the benefits for the Organization, were the important amounts of sponsorship that were achieved for the many participating ships... we all won...

But greed broke the sack.and the manipulation of some behind the cameras for additional benefits, caused a very high level of discomfort... as the subject came to Congress and TVE put an end to the experience... it hurt other projects... and of course the development of the Vuelta itself.

In the face of the Ente's refusal to negotiate, the Organization put on the table the payment of double for 1984: that is 150 million... but the offer did not change the position of an annoying García Candau, then most responsible for the matter. The group led by Federico and José Ramón, began efforts to still be able to offer more figures, in successive years in which there was no "television" and one of the largest Spanish companies in the game was about to sign... but it was a condition "television".

At times it seemed that the great "casinos" supported Guimerans' ambitious project, that is, of the almighty Dorna... but when the TV support was missing, everything was in nothing. There were even moments that seemed to be the "Community ships" that had started with strength in 1984 with the "Catalonia," "Andalusia" and "Principality of Asturias" quajaría... reaching the real possibility that the Real Madrid would lend its valuable image for a ship and Football Club Barcelona to another...

For the professional sailing that had crystallized the project with the two most emblematic football clubs of our country, it was a dream... of which we soon woke up and everything remained in illusion, in a lot of illusion.

The door of TVE did not open and the whole great circus came down... the most veterans can't forget those squads of professionals outside the Vuelta to Spain that behind the curtain caused tobacco marks, of reels of photography or simply that they carried the inks on ships sponsored in particular... a real earthquake... and you know what happens when you spend 8 on the Richter scale... as we say in Galicia... "everything goes to the face". What a shame.