Real Club Náutico de San Sebastián

History

In 1896 a group of Donostia yacht sailors founded Real Club Náutico San Sebastián, then the summer residence of the Spanish court. The first facilities were on a large barge anchored in La Concha Bay. In 1905 the club moved ashore and acquired a former fish farm on Paseo de La Concha, its present site. The current clubhouse was designed by José Manuel Aizpurua and Joaquín Labayen and is an icon of rationalist architecture. Nautical activity was strong from the start; yachts from Europe and America came to race. In 1929 and 1930 the club organised famous international regattas. In 1951 and 1955 it staged the transatlantic Havana–San Sebastián race, then among the most important of its kind. The building was erected in 1928–1929; in 1947 the upper terrace was enclosed, giving the clubhouse essentially its present form. It is listed as a Bien de Interés Cultural monument. Architect Aizpurua was a club member and won the 1931 European Star championship. Donostia’s Star fleet was once among the world’s largest and produced Olympians including Emilio Gurruchaga (Rome 1960) and José María Benavides (Tallinn 1980), later influencing the Olympic 49er medals of Iker Martínez and Xabi Fernández. Today the club runs sailing, canoeing and diving sections with schools for beginners and racing. Internationally known is the Armada Cup linking Plymouth and San Sebastián every two years, the only international cruiser race in the Basque Country; the VII edition starts on 18 July 2026.

Boat types