In the splendid sports curriculum of Javier de la Gandara, the "Galicia 93-Pescanova" occupies a place of honor.

It's already hard for a good sportsman, to have a little bit like him, to have two of them, to have four of them. Joseph of the Gandara and Toya were married in the 5th and had four sons: Joseph, Javier, Angel and Andrew. The father a good navigator and businessman of the conservative sector who does not remember those legendary Conservas Gandara y Haga, paradigm of quality?, the mother a great lady who also did not hit the sports part badly, for in her years she was an excellent nautic ski athlete... in which she achieved sound victories in official competitions at the regional and national level.

Javier de la Gandara in his long race sails on cruise ships since the late 1970s.

With such pits came what came out. José began to stand out from his most tender childhood, and was already very young as part of the 420 Spanish Team in that formidable World Championship held in Baiona in 1977, making it ten absolute. The next, Javier great optimist aboard the "Tortuga," very good in 420 and excellent in snipes, even though it shone more in what light sail refers to in the TDV in the early 1980s, becoming the Spanish Champion in 1982 precisely at his home, at the Monte Real Club de Yates de Baiona. Javier deserved to go to the Olympics, but the bureaucrats and the friends deprived him of what justice was. Angel the third, very good regatist, also participated in the mentioned Spanish table, and achieved bronze in the category of light. Andrés, the gandarapitufo was always there with its solvency as a navigator, science in which it began very soon.

Joan Vila who were the navigator with Javier de la Gandara in the Fortuna in the World Tour 1989-1990.

With the passing of the years José finsimo pattern was part of many of the best crews, as did Angel and Andrés, while Javier gradually took off reaching the points that no one had ever achieved in the heavy and ocean sail in Spain. First by sailing on a competition boat like the Lanzal or the Easy Boys, for some examples. He participates in the Regata Vuelta a España that organizes Bitácora, on board the Atlantic Bank that won the most brilliant edition of those held. With José María García Lastra, Juan Zarauza and Miguel Lago participate in the Catamaran La Santa María 717, winning in their category.

He later built with Manuel Pedro Seoane, José Cristos and Chema Ullivarri as a master of ceremonies, the Bombay Gin Team, of which Jaime Arbons was one of the best proas in the world today. Those Bombay who started the run with the Tony Castro 25 acquired in Denmark, who participated in the Quarter Ton Cup 1989 in Falmouth. Then came the "Meridian" designed by Papperini who was also in another World Cup, and then the Farr One Ton "Faro Fino 3000," with which Gandara carried the new J & B gin then, all over the seas of Spain.

His great friend Javier Visiers gave him a choice with the Fortuna in 1989.

In the meantime Javier had drawn the attention of the great Javier Visiers, who no more or less proposes to Gandara that it be the second of Jan Santana, in the sense of alternating in the cane at different stages, in the Regata Vuelta al Mundo. Gandara does not take advantage of the opportunity and has an extraordinary performance, with that world record of monocasque speed (it exceeded the 400-mile barrier in 24 hours) and with the rescue of Jordi Domenech in the southern hemisphere, which was miraculous. His great role in the Fortuna, he is worth taking up first pages in newspapers all over Spain, and from a handful of countries,...

The dream day, the day of the launch in the Armed Shipyards. In the image the Infanta Cristina, Manuel Fernández, Cholo Marina, Paco Quiroga and Javier de la Gandara with their crew in front.

After the Fortuna the WOR-60 "Galicia 93-Pescanova" which is built in Astilleros Armaría in Vigo under the direction and impulse of Manuel Fernández and Francisco Quiroga. The ship with entirely Spanish crew (and largely Galician) wins the mythical Fastnet Race, the Turn to Europe and is bronze on the Turn to the World.

From here on Javier leaves the very first line of high competition, to participate in more national projects, case of the "Martín Códax," "Portos de Galicia" or "Turismo Rías Baixas..." or more recently in the class J80 in which he has achieved numerous victories and very good performances with his "Okofen..." curriculo to which he has not given final carpetazo because he is still active; that is with much work in his company Velas Gandara in which he has a partner and faithful escudero to his brother José, a great type.

Text: Manuel Pedro Seoane
Photographs: Pescanova Archives, Fortuna and Armed Shipyards