Postcard published by Fama in 1972, with part of the international fleet in the old pants of the Baiona Yacht Club... as many of the yachts fused to the socaire of the hatch, just opposite

In the early 1970s, he was president of the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona... Carlos Zulueta, a great Viguese businessman of the time, who was lucky enough to meet Fernando Solano, an inequitable nautical enthusiast, in those years.

Solano, who has not been unjustly given the importance he has had in the history of the Carabela la Pinta Club, achieved his goal... and what happened to him was worthy of a book.

We spoke of three years before the magical year... in which his celebrated a marked anniversary of the Discovery of America, in 1969... when still the modern minister, the prime minister, the minister who started with the theme of Western democracy, the minister who was a real breath of fresh air in the government of General Franco: Manuel Fraga Iribarne.

Don Manuel, who was the Minister of Information and Tourism, served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, when his head Fernando María Castiella, for whatever reasons... was not possible.

Well, Solano... had gone to the big city on the east coast of the United States... to meet the Commodore of the almighty New York Yacht Club... In order to organize with Mount Real, a transoceanic race in commemoration of the historic anniversary!!... he found out that Fraga was in New York in the Waldorf Astoria... and why?, simply because Castiella gave her place, on her visit to the United States.

And because of this radical change in the history of the Mount Real Club of Yates... because Solano was shot at Astoria, and had the luck to face... simply because Don Manuel had been essential in the location of the Club of Yates, within the compound of the Parador Conde Gondomar (in union with Pio Cabanillas Gallas and of course Jesus Valverde Viñas)... because Fraga received it and personally supported it in the initial negotiations with the New York Yacht Club and victory! because in the summer of 1972... the most important race of height in the history of the candle came true, with 60 ships all maxis, with only one Spanish on board: Alfredo Lagos. The race was organized by the New York Yacht Club, the Cruising Club of America, the Royal Bermuda Yatch Club and Mount Real. A past that is half a century!

The race hit a lot in all of Spain... when a 30-foot barge... 60 ships of many meters came... the atmosphere was amazing in Baiona in general... and in Monte Real Club International de Yates (as it was called then) in particular.

There were many anecdotes in Baiona... since a famous New York madame settled with her girls in one of the most emblematic buildings... and that she even had her very Yankee pamela on the sidewalk of Antonio Ramilo, who was the mayor of Vigo... or that the thousands or more of professional crew who came in regatta had to drink in excess and did not come up with anything else to take the pirate castle... in reference to the walled enclosure of Monte Real and burned the Spanish flag... or since there was no water in the morning that had not come up with the few of the Parlavador.

In favor of the great race... that a exchange house mounted by the Vigo Savings Box changed 18 million pesetas for 1972 dollars... or that the restaurants of Baiona... case of Pedro Madruga or Moscow or Rocamar... sold in a week tens and tens of French champagne boxes at incredible prices, with their glass cups included... or that the Baionese taxi drivers, made stratospheric boxes. Also no one has forgotten the piece of slap that the U.S. Navy's boat was hit in a race... of the Jubilee III in the lower of the Carallones... or that José Gandara was the one that cut off the demanos of the Discovery crew, when he put on the cover with the authorities, the idea of bringing the Spanish Naval Police and the Rota USA Base... which prevented the public force from doing so, which was not desirable for the image of our country, in those years... I was told by witnesses that the very young men of the Patriarch... and no one who did so. The last anecdote was the intense efforts of the owners of Puerto Banus to leave Baiona to the Mediterranean of Andalusia... but they did not convince the shipowners.

By the way, so much money was won in Baiona... the shops, the hotel and the services in general, which still today 50 years later, they say, and why don't you bring the Americans back, even when they break some things?... and that's that miracles don't usually happen...