The Admiral of the Sailing of Spain: Marcial Sánchez Barcaiztegui

The Admiral in his office of the Naval Commission of the Balearic Islands (Spanish Navy Photo)

Marcial Sánchez Barcaiztegui, Admiral of the Spanish Navy, is an essential character to understand the evolution of the Sailing of Spain in recent decades, and the institutional relations between the Marines of War and the Sports in many years of our history. Descendent of illustrious sailors, to their solid formation and an indisputable marine vocation, united their great humanity, united to know how to win all and to be someone indisputable and loved, wherever they were. Always attentive to all the avatars of our world, always willing to collaborate with anyone, is what is said a wise man of great goodness. It is certainly for the night of time, the Admiral of the Sailing of Spain.

Martial at the Puerto Juan Carlos I de Sanxenxo, named member of the European Sailing Brotherhood, with fellow members of the Brotherhood and its president Francisco Quiroga.

His life was permanently linked to the sea, the candle and the Navy. All his time until he died at the age of 92, he dedicated it to his Spain and to his sea. Everyone wanted to be by their side, they all wanted Martial to attend their races. The decision and aim of this Admiral, was spectacular and thanks to his work, were achieved goals such as that of Spain through his Navy offering an image abroad of modern and democratic armed forces at the service of the Homeland under the mantle of a Constitutional Monarchy,..., which he achieved with the support of Don Juan Carlos and the then President of the Government of Spain, Felipe González was something in line with the most modern armed forces in the world: that Spain had its high-competition ship and that its warships, they competed in races with other more advanced countries and with greater democratic experience. Spain needed a new image at that time, and the "Hispania" achieved it by the Admiral's hand,..., was a ridiculous investment for the great campaign we did at the points we were really interested in.

The great work of the Admiral, the Hispania.

Marcial was born in Ferrol, Galicia. Much of his life (40 years) was spent in Mallorca, in his love for the value of the Navy's naval commissions, to inculcate the candle as a sport within the Spanish Navy. The Snipe class was its first flag, in those years when another Galician Dr. Ruiz introduced it into our country through the Royal Nautical Club of Vigo, and that the power of the class was first in the hands of the unforgettable couple of the Royal Maritime Club of the Abra (Juan Manuel Alonso Allende and Gabriel Laiseca "El Chino" and after the great, the huge Félix Gancedo, with other "gallitos" such as Fernando Massó and Cholo Marina.

Marcial Sánchez Barcaiztegui a la rea (Photo Spanish Navy)

The Sirius saga and the Aifos saga are attached to the Admiral. The "Aifos" a quarter ton designed by Pepín González was the first ship the Navy made available to today's King of Spain, to compete in the largest Quarter Ton Cup of its last editions: the one that organized the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona in 1990. What less people know is that he had another quarter of a ton, the "Mogor" to take part in this event, a crew sent by a student cavalry from the Military Naval School,... was the first time the Navy presented a female crew in a competition. The admiral's wake will be remembered for many years.

Text: Manuel Pedro Seoane