That’s the name of the most emblematic training ship of the Spanish Navy. It recently won the Boston Teapot again, a prestigious trophy for sailing ships awarded to the ship that each year achieves the biggest distance in 124 hours of sailing.

Juan Sebastián de Elcano, the person after whom this ship was named, finished the first trip around the world on September 6th 1522, after travelling 42,000 miles (78,000 kilometres, almost twice the world’s equator). He had started the trip 3 years before, on September 20th 1519 with the Magallan expedition, returning with only one of the 5 ships, the Victoria.

72 years have passed since the launching of the ship that inherited the name of the seafarer J. S. de Elcano. It has sailed the Seas for 71 years, on training trips, and completed 10 trips around the world. It has visited over 60 countries and 130 harbours. And it is a roving embassador wherever it is. It is the oldest training ship of the world.

This year, the Regatta “Tall Ships’ Races” (former Cutty Sark) started from the Alicante harbour on July 6th and finished in Barcelona on July 14th. It was the first time that this regatta was done in the Mediterranean Sea. This time, the training ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano also participated. From Cumbre del Sol we have had the privilege to see it on its trip.