First timers attempting this nautical sport react with a sense of incredulity. It seems unbelievable that boats of barely seven metres in length can support sails of up to 13 metres high. But there is a secret to this. The Vela Latina boats only practise tight close-haul sailing and do so against the wind. The regatta takes place over the whole eastern coast of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria where the winds are generally northerly and the contestants sail into the north wind to reach finishing line at the Puerto de la Luz and Las Palmas. The crew is therefore faced with a twofold mission: on one hand, to reach the finishing line before their opponents and, on the other, to escape being capsized by the strong winds (or as they say around here, avoid 'getting in a mess'), something that tends to happen on several occasions during the season. The crew members, between 9 and 12 men, fight against their rivals and face strong and unpredictable winds which can prove to be a powerful enemy and ruin their chances at the regatta. 

The origins of this competition date back to the beginnings of the 20th century. Some say that it evolved from contests between the fishermen to see who could go the fastest. Others, however, state that this sport comes from urgency of the 'cambuyoneros' (this name was given to traders and comes from the English 'come by on', meaning come aboard) to be the first to arrive at the large boats, that frequented the bay of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in order to buy and exchange merchandise that could later be resold on land. From here, some say, came the eagerness to arrive before your rival, a factor that characterises the Vela Latina Canaria. The first known regatta was celebrated in 1904 to coincide with the festival of the patron saint of the fishing boat, San Cristóbal. The event was such a success that, by the middle of the 1930s, there was already an authentic flotilla of boats competing to be the best on the island.    

These days, 19 crews race to win one of the three competitions that make up the official programme of the Federation of the Vela Latina Canaria. The Provincial championship is a kind of league in which the boats meet face to face in pairs over the seven months of the competition. The Trofeo Eliminatorio (qualifying round trophy) sets all the competitors against one another and the losing boats from each regatta are eliminated until only three remain and these then enter into the grand final. A third competition is fought for the Gran Canaria Cup, where all the contestants are pitched together in a series of disputes which are decided according to an Olympic scoring system.

The competitions take place over the weekends and the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Town Council offers enthusiasts a tour of discovery of the Gran Canaria coast with stop offs at the most interesting points along the route. If you happen to be in the island's capital while one of these regattas is taking place, don't miss the opportunity of heading towards the sea to enjoy this magnificent spectacle. 

Federation of the Vela Latina Canaria
Explanada del Muelle Deportivo nº 1
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Tel: 928 29 33 56
Fax: 928 29 18 00