Die Ramón Carlin, owner and patron of the Sayula II, first winner of the Withbread

Ramón Carlin, with a photo of the Sayula II, with which he won the world. Photo: Ian Roman

He was one more navigator, an amateur regatist as many could be in the early 1970s in the world. His name was Ramón Carlin, a Mexican entrepreneur who started a street business, then went on to the sale of appliances and that his hobby was to go out with his sailboat for a walk during his free time.

So far everything could seem normal, until one day he found out that a tour of the world had been organized on scales called Withbread Round the world, which he decided to participate with a Swan 65 called Sayula II. With them were their wife. Paquita, one of your children, friends, family and some reinforcement with some more knowledge of the high sail, but little more.

As the British yellow press became aware of the participation that a team of Mexicans no longer aspire to win, but rather dare to participate in challenging the experienced British ships, placing cartoons in their publications with lazy Mexican images and the typical hat.

In that first edition of the Withbread (973-74) 19 ships participated, most of them, no doubt much more prepared at the technical and crew level than the Sayula II. But against all prognosis, the ship of Ramón Carlin would be the one that would end up winning that first round of the world by scales, in the face of everyone's admiration for having achieved that feat.

From there, Carlin ceased to be that anonymous regatist to be the first to win what we know today as Volvo Ocean Race.

His story has passed to the world of cinema thanks to the director Bernardo ArsuagaI had the opportunity to meet a few months ago at the Sail in Festival in Bilbao, where the film 'The Weekend Sailor' was first spent, a film recorded two years ago and where Ramón Carlin was able to meet with the crew who allowed him to win that round of the world.

Ramón Carlin with Bernardo Arsuaga, director of the film.

Ramón Carlin is part of the history of the Withbread, and has left us at the age of 92. Rest in peace.