A century sailing with the most Catalan boat

BarcelonaAnyone who wanted to swim in the sea 100 years ago didn't have it easy. People who lived near the sea still had the bad habit of throwing trash into the water. The factories that had been built along the Barcelona coast were polluting the sea more and more. Chronicles speak of dead animals, all kinds of debris, and industrial waste that kept many swimmers away. The most determined began to go a little further out to sea with "skaters," modest boats that were essentially small catamarans, with two kayaks joined by a piece of wood. They would climb on and, by rowing, would go to the clean waters. In the early 20th century, bathing clubs in Barcelona and Badalona rented these "skaters," until someone had the idea of putting a mast with a sail on them. And so the most typical vessel of Catalan sailing was born: the "patí de vela," which has celebrated its 100 years of life in good health.

"There is a certain discussion between Badalona and Barcelona to decide who invented the patí" says journalist Daniel Romaní, a specialist in patins. In fact, he has traveled along the entire coast of the Catalan Countries mounted on one of these unique boats, publishing the book Catalunya amb patí de vela. From the Ebro Delta to Cap de Creus. "The patí de vela is a small boat, without a cabin, without an engine and without a rudder. A boat with two parallel floats, a platform on top and a single sail. It seems simple, but you need to know how to navigate a lot to be able to defend yourself on board, especially in complicated waters, as the course is controlled solely by the movement of the body on the deck and the adjustment of the sail. That is to say, there is no rudder.", explains Dídac Costa, one of the few humans who have completed the Vendée Globe twice, the solo, non-stop round-the-world sailing race. After sailing with all kinds of sailboats, he has recently had adventures with a Catalan patí, to "reconnect with a way of sailing that seems lost. Nowadays, technology has allowed for great progress and increased safety, but at the same time it leads to the loss of the essence of sailing," he explains.

The patí de vela was born in the 1920s. One of its epicenters is Barceloneta, where Rafael Escolà, the first builder of patins de vela, had a workshop. Escolà and his brother worked at 57 Meer Street, on the seafront. He made the patins used by the Club Natació Barcelona and, together with two members of this entity, decided to put a sail on them. Using a stool, he fixed the base of the mast and thus became the first officially documented patí builder. In 1925, patí de vela races were already being held in Barcelona, according to nautical historian José María Martínez-Hidalgo. And in 1933, the first Catalan Championship was created, won by Jaume Agustí, who received the trophy from Lluís Companys and gave it to Rafael Escolà's family. In 1932, a race from Barcelona to Arenys de Mar had been held. It had already consolidated rapidly, with strong rivalry between the marines of CN Barcelona and those of Badalona.

A boat that has barely changed

The "patí" gradually spread along the Catalan coast, especially in Maresme, Baix Empordà, and Garraf. Initially, each builder and each nautical club did their own thing, so in 1942, official dimensions were established that are still respected today: it must weigh a minimum of 89 kg, with a length of 5.60 meters and a beam of 1.60 meters. It is said that to set these measurements, a regatta was held in Vilanova in 1942, where the winner would obtain, as a reward, the fixing of its characteristics. A "patí" from the Badalona brothers Lluís and Emili Mongé won. Another resident of Badalona, Antoni Soler, created the so-called "patí de vela júnior", with smaller dimensions, designed for children and adolescents, in 1968. "The "patí" is special, as it has changed little with respect to these regulations from 1942. In other sailing disciplines, technology has caused many changes in the equipment. Some would like to make changes to the "patí", but for what reason would they be necessary? To go a little faster? The price to pay would be that the equipment would be more expensive. The "patí de vela" is very fun as it is, with its essence," says Anna Pujol, one of the best Catalan "patí de vela" racers, with a multitude of titles won and vice-president of ADIPAV, the association that defends the "patí de vela" and that has published a book dedicated to the 100 years of this boat.

"The 'patí' has also reached abroad. Some Catalans or sailing enthusiasts have brought them to England, Belgium or South America," explains Romaní. In 1958, the first international regatta was held in Ieras, France, and in 1960, Jordi Ferrer, one of the prominent skippers of the time, organized the first 'patí de vela' regatta in Italy, in Sardinia. The 'patí' has made its way to places like Germany, Austria, Japan, or Argentina because sailors from these countries discovered the 'patí' competing in Catalonia and fell in love with it. Or when Catalans go to work in places like Qatar and take one with them. When the owners of Bodegas Osborne in Jerez saw some 'patins' on Badalona beach when they went to buy the company Anís del Mono, they took some to Puerto Sherry, in Cadiz, where you can still sail. But it is primarily a Catalan sporting activity, currently practiced by hundreds of people. "The health is unbeatable. We have fleets all along the coast, from Sant Antoni de Calonge to Sitges with weekly activity. And we also reach Altafulla or Torredembarra. In Barcelona, for example, at the 'patí de vela' club, we sail four or five days a week with more than 30 boats," comments Pujol, who also recalls: "We work a lot with juniors. We have a project with the Catalan Sailing Federation to restart the junior 'patí' league and guarantee its succession."

"It is an ideal modality for anyone who wants to start sailing. It is not expensive, it is not very demanding. I am over 60 years old and I can get the boat down, move it, and put it in the water by myself, for example. It is a comfortable boat to store, clubs can do it in their facilities without needing to keep them at the port. Once you sail with a sailboard, it's hard to stop", Pujol defends. "The uniqueness is that you carry it with your own weight. Your movement determines the direction, and you can go quite fast. Once you get the hang of it, you enjoy it a lot. You can sail alone or with two people, at most. I sailed the entire Catalan coast from Alcanar to Cap de Creus in 11 days", Romaní points out. "Being shallow, it became popular because it could reach the sand. Now, with coastal laws, it's a bit complicated and you can only use the entry and exit areas", admits Romaní. Despite everything, the sailboard has reached its centenary in very good health, and is open to anyone who wants to discover it to sail as many Catalans did 100 years ago.