From the warm beaches of Santiago de la Ribera, a spectacular building overlooks the sea displaying wooden piers that form piers and saltwater pools. It is the Real Club Náutico de Santiago de la Ribera, which has a three-story social building, the work of the architect Fernando Garrido, built in 1971.
This exclusive club always wanted to be respectful with the environment, therefore there is no closed port; Furthermore, all its presidents have had the vocation to promote sailing in their facilities, which is why all kinds of regattas have always been organized, with trophies that already have a long history. And apart from regattas and sailing classes, it also schedules countless social activities throughout the year, remaining open continuously.
In December, the XLII Armada Trophy was held there, a regatta that brought together more than seventy boats from six countries and also included the IX Almirante Marcial Sánchez Barcaiztegui Trophy, the XVI Azor Ambiental Trophy and the Paco Pérez Memorial. The trophy is a national and international benchmark and one of the most important events for the Spanish Snipes fleet, which meets in La Ribera every year.
The Spanish Sailing Federation awarded the club its highest distinction for its work in favor of that sport in its one hundred years of history
During the celebration of this Trophy, the president of the National Sailing Federation, Javier Sanz, presented the Club with the Gold Anchor, its highest distinction. During his speech, he highlighted “the great work and dedication of the Club de la Ribera in its one hundred years of history, as a modest but very large club.” The President of the Club, Horacio Sánchez, responded by thanking the Federation for supporting the small clubs that are also part of Spanish sailing and stating that this recognition belongs to both workers and the social mass and, of course, the tireless work of the manager, Mauri, who has spent thirty years of exclusive dedication.
I was lucky enough to witness the event thanks to the invitation of my good friend and president of the Club, Horacio Sánchez Navarro, an industrial engineer from the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineers of Valencia, who invited me to enjoy the regattas. This technocrat, lover of good music and vintage cars, which he restores himself (he has his own museum of vintage cars and commercial vehicles) has become a great manager and president. He is one of those ‘black leg’ engineers, with a long career in private companies and a career civil servant of the Community’s Higher Facultative Body since 1991, where he has gone through countless positions of maximum responsibility. This club has always boasted of having extraordinary managers and presidents since its foundation, which is a reality.
All life in the entity
Since 1991, he has had an extraordinary professional who began working as bellboys in the summers and, a few years later, he became the personnel manager and, shortly after, fulfilled one of his dreams: to lead his beloved club which, for him, is a benchmark in your municipality and throughout the Region. He is Mauricio Ruiz Sáez, Mauri for friends, a lover of his municipality and this club, who is grateful for his professional career and the many teachings he has received throughout these years and that have led him to your current position.
In 2018 the club celebrated its centenary. A year full of events in which Mauri was able to enjoy three Spanish championships and his appointment as Honorary Member of the Spanish Navy and the General Air Academy (AGA). And since there are not two without three, in 2019 he was appointed pediatric mayor of Santiago de la Ribera, a position he performs with enthusiasm and vocation since he is delighted to dedicate his free hours to serving his people to help improve it every day. He enjoys the closeness of his neighbors and being able to be the interlocutor with the government team, with which he is one hundred percent committed. This position has allowed him to closely follow the important projects of his town, having carried out under his mayoralty projects as important as the soccer field, the ‘Ciudad del Aire’, the Typhlological Aeronautical Museum and some others that will soon see the light ( the business center, the aeronautical-themed playground next to the Peregrino and the recovery of the Encañizada del Ventorrillo).
The visit ended with a gastronomic tribute on the club’s terrace. Eleuteria Juárez, who runs a very special kitchen, surprised us with a menu very much in her style. We started with some raf tomatoes with belly followed by some delicious artichokes with foie gras and an exquisite carpaccio of salmon and cod with tomato and olive oil background whose plate was completely clean based on soup. To finish, a sea bass in salt with a garnish of vegetables from our garden and steamed potatoes and a sea bream rice with prawns that Eleuteria embroiders like no one else. And for dessert, a carrot cake with sky bacon and a scoop of ice cream and an aromatic coffee that opened the way to a gathering that focused on the City of Air.
Take off from San Javier
The mayor of San Javier, José Miguel Luengo, has managed to open the doors to cooperation, a great professional deployment and change the mentality and with it the municipal organization, knowing how to design strategies to make life easier for its inhabitants, with reforms and great improvements with consolidated political support. This quality of life of the inhabitants of San Javier is demonstrated at all times of the year, such as this Christmas, in which they have been able to enjoy endless activities for all ages: Bethlehem, concerts, theater, flamenco zambomba, Mass of Gallo, modeling workshop, children’s chimes, Murcian Christmas bonus, Reyes, child’s career and a long etcetera.
And now we must add a new attraction to the Ciudad del Aire project: the incorporation of the Patrol Garra, an aerial formation of ultra-light ships. It is not an acrobatic patrol, but rather practices a normal school flight adapted to the exhibition format and to which the mayor of the town has given all his support when starting it up. It is sure to give a lot to talk about later.
Although we will leave that for another time; meanwhile, I say goodbye with the first reflection of the year: “Time is magical: the seed becomes a tree, the rock becomes sand and what worries you so much today at the end of the day will be a pure anecdote.”
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