Real Club Náutico de Estepona
Real Club Náutico de Estepona is a traditional sailing and yacht club on the Andalusian Costa del Sol in the port of Estepona (Málaga). The club is located at the Puerto deportivo and offers a clubhouse, secretariat, restaurant, sailing school, pontoon moorings, and a hardstanding with slipway. At its core are the Escuela de Vela for all age groups, regattas such as the Liga de Cruceros Senda Azul, and social and youth programmes. Founded in 1957, the club is one of the established nautical institutions in the region and maintains an active sailing community on the Mediterranean.
History
In the mid-20th century, in 1957, several friends from Estepona who were more keen on hunting than fishing used to meet at Bar Miramar, better known as “Cabito”, owned by Antonio Cabo. One of them, Manuel García Calama, then a Teniente de Navío and probably Ayudante de Marina (commander of the naval military command of Estepona), proposed founding a Club Náutico to meet the nautical needs of the time, which then mainly meant the recently discovered sport of fishing. In September of the same year an organising commission of four members was formed, chaired by Teniente de Navío D. Manuel García Calama; it also included D. Antonio Borges Vélez-Bracho, the town veterinarian. This commission established the sports association “CLUB NÁUTICO DE ESTEPONA”, registered on 2 October 1957 under number 3.204 in the provincial associations register. On 29 November 1957 the first statutes were drafted and approved and the first board was constituted. Nine years would pass before the foundation stone of the present clubhouse was laid; in the meantime the club’s seat moved between various locations. On Thursday 27 June 1968, Head of State Generalísimo Franco received the club board at the Palacio de El Pardo; president D. Antonio Borges thanked him for accepting the honorary presidency on 7 June and presented a commemorative plaque. The delegation was led by D. Juan Antonio Samaranch, national delegate for physical education and sport, accompanied among others by minister D. José Solís, the civil governor of Málaga D. Ramón Castilla Pérez and mayor D. Ángel Farinós Zurbano. On Tuesday 6 August 1968 the present clubhouse was inaugurated; the facilities were blessed by the parish priest of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, D. José María Sepúlveda. The ceremony, chaired by founding president D. Antonio Borges Vélez-Bracho, was attended among others by Samaranch, minister Solís, the civil governor, the mayor and representatives of the Andalusian savings-bank federation that financed the works. The brief historical outline was compiled in 2009 by Don Antonio Simón Sánchez. Today Real Club Náutico de Estepona is based at Estepona’s Puerto deportivo and runs a sailing school as well as regatta and club activities on the Costa del Sol.
Information
Facilities
Clubhouse (Edificio Social), secretariat, restaurant, sailing school, pontoon, hardstanding and slipway, changing rooms, rest areas; Estepona marina with 447 berths, VHF channel 9
Activities
Sailing school for all ages and levels, regattas (including Liga de Cruceros Senda Azul), match racing for schools and institutes, sport fishing, social events
Youth section
Active sailing school with programmes for young sailors, including Optimist racing and school match-race competitions
Guest berths
Yes, marina with 447 berths