Relative in the world of sailing as a regatist, as an organizer and as a person, has left us Chema Benavides, Olympic at the Montreal and Moscow Games

He left us José María Benavides, the Velas, in San Sebastián at the age of 79. He was born in Elgoibar on January 7, 1945... he began in the sport in San Sebastián and in 1962 he founded the sailing section at the Club de Remo Ur-Kirolak.

He was always one of the references as a regatist, an organizer and a person. Chema Benavides was the first generation of the National School of Sailing, which made Miquel Company in Palamós. In it began young people from all corners of Spain such as Toño Gorostegui - who would later become his brother-in-law when he married Kek-, Alejandro Abascal, Joaquin Blanco, Josele Doreeste... a generation of gold, of which the Velas was also one of the highlights, winning the 1975 Mediterranean Games, being eleven times the Spanish champion in different classes and participating in the Olympic Games of Montreal 76 next to Jane Abascal and Moscow 80 with Toño Gorostegui.

In those '70s in Palamós, everyone did everything, as a regatist, as a committee... and the Candles was the first. He was, along with Paul Maes, one of the parents of Christmas Race, creating from nothing a race that is at the door of half a century.

Although an Olympic active, he never participated in Christmas as a regatist, but as a director and regatta committee. He was so generous that he organized Christmas for others to enjoy.

In the 1980s he decided to leave the competition and became a technician of the National School of Sailing in Palamós. There his daughter Mar grew up, today a prominent and well-known oceanographer.

In this golden decade for the Spanish candle, he was coach in Los Angeles 84 by Luis Doreeste and Roberto Molina, who would hang the Olympic gold.

In the 1990s, he was the director of the Olympic team in Portugal until 2000, when Hugo Rocha and Nuno Barreto, obtained the Olympic bronze in 470 in Atlanta 96.

In this twenty-first century, in 2001 he returned to the Royal Spanish Vela Federation as the director of Olympic preparation, where he obtained in Athens 2004 three medals: Gold of Iker Martínez and Xabi Fernández in 49er and silver of Natàlia Via- Dufresne and Sandra Azón in 470 and Rafa Trujillo in Finn.

In 2007 he left the federation and Andor Serra incorporated him to the Fundació Navocació Oceanica Barcelona (FNOB) to be the director of the first edition of the Barcelona World Race.

He also had his facet of publicizing, he was the author of the book 'Methodology of the training of Vela' and co-author with Luis Jiménez de Abeasturi and Juan Pardo of the book 'In the big banks of Newfoundland'.

The one in Barcelona was the last work of José María Benavides, who from there decided to disappear from the first line and from public life and took refuge in his native Guipuzcoa, where he spent his last years, until this Friday, March 8, 2024 he has definitely said goodbye to us.

Rest in peace, Candles!

Jaume Soler