The Fundación Vela Clásica de España was born in Puerto Sherry with the objective of promoting classic sailing, and caring for and maintaining these gems of the sea, as well as train professionals so they may work as boatwrights or provide the exquisite care these vessels require. | Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz), 3 June 2020.
To celebrate the presentation of the Fundación Vela Clásica de España (FVCE), on Thursday evening important personalities from the nautical world, sailing enthusiasts and reputed specialist journalists were invited to the terrace of Hotel Puerto Sherry. The act attracted a lot of people and, due to Covid protocols, it was held in the open air, with spectacular views of the harbour and ‘Gipsy’, one of the Foundation’s class vessels, launched in 1927.
The act was presented by the director of the FVCE, Maribel Vergara. After thanking everyone for coming, she said that she was very excited because for the first time she had the chance to stand before a very attentive audience and explain a project described by its members as a ‘thrilling adventure’. She then gave the floor to the President of the Fundación Vela Clásica de España and Member of the Board of Patrons of the RFEV, Valle de la Riva.
De la Riva highlighted the project to recover classic sailing with some clear social, cultural, touristic and educational objectives. She gave an emotional speech to remember those people who are no longer with us, especially her husband, Pedro Bores, the forerunner of this eagerness to rescue classic boats, including ‘Hispania’ and ‘Giraldilla’.
She was immediately followed by Ricardo Rubio, ‘Petete’, Vice-president of the Fundación Vela Clásica de España and the owner of ‘Gipsy’. You could feel his excitement when he spoke about the Foundation, as well as his concern about the future of classic sailing, ‘Classic boats could easily turn into an exclusively luxury sector, out of many people’s reach. The Foundation’s mission is to make sure that this does not happen. Classic boats must continue to be accessible for all sailing enthusiasts’.
After Petete, the act continued with the appearance of the President of the Andalusian Sailing Federation, Paco Coro, who placed special importance on promoting the boatwright profession. He ended by mentioning the significant regional and national impact of the Puerto Sherry Classic Week. The act was brought to a close by the Mayor of El Puerto de Santa María, German Beardo who applauded the initiative and pointed out the strengths of the close relationship between Puerto Sherry and the town, ‘As from now I can affirm that the Fundación Vela Clásica de España will have the unconditional support of this local council’.
After the presentation, the attendees were offered a glass of Gipsy Gin and Gipsy Blu (the first low-alcohol gin, 17º), a Spanish brand of gin that has been created with the purpose of partially funding the Foundation through shares, among other funding sources. La FVCE will be a leading name in the Spanish sailing world; its mission as an institution is to stop Spanish classic boat owners from worrying, disseminate the culture of sailing in general, help care for our seas and teach people through our schools and workshops. Everything necessary to promote classic sailing and prevent it from disappearing.
