The history of the sport of rowing in Cuba starts in Cárdenas in the first decade of the twentieth century, when two sporting clubs are formed on a nearby beach. One of the clubs is called "Varadero" and the other "Halley" (after the comet that is destined to pass close to the earth in the following year). The idea of holding regattas between the two, sparked by youngsters vacationing on the beach, is well received by their parents and carried out by an organizing committee that had met in Cárdenas in April of 1909, to establish the "Varadero Yacht Club".
The first regatta takes place on July 31, 1910, when the clubs compete for the "Varadero Cup". Halley had constructed its shell at the Miguel Lluriá shipyards in Cárdenas, while Varadero had had its shell constructed at the Matanzas shipyards. This first contest, strictly local in character, was won by Varadero. Nevertheless, after the 1910 regattas the organizing comittee decided that, as of the following year, they would invite clubs from all across the country to the meet.
From those humble beginnings was born the rowing tradition of Cárdenas and Varadero, two communities inextricably united by geography, sport and enchantment, despite the tourism apartheid practiced by the current regime. The 50 years that followed that first regatta saw a constant celebration of Cuban sport on that blue water and white sanded beach. While the sport of rowing spread rapidly throughout all of Cuba, the local crews continued their domination over Habaneros, Santiagueros and others. Here is a listing of the important championships that they won during those 50 years:
Open Regatta, (6 Oars and Coxswain) - 1200m
Varadero Beach
Club Varadero won in 7' 24"
Crew:
Leonardo Sorzano Jorrín (Coxswain)
Mario Verdeja Neyra (No. 6, Stroke)
Maximiliano Smith Mora (No. 5)
Julio Castro Asúnsolo (No. 4)
Humberto de Cárdenas Gou (No. 3)
Ismael Veulens Cabo (No. 2)
Alejandro Neyra Gou (No. 1)
Open Regatta, (6 Oars and Coxswain) - 1200m
Varadero Beach
Club Varadero won in 7' 25"
Crew:
Raúl Castro Asúnsolo (Coxswain)
Mario Verdeja Neyra (No. 6, Stroke)
Rafael Reynaldo Gutiérrez (No. 5)
Julio Castro Asunsolo (No. 4)
Humberto de Cárdenas Gou (No. 3)
Alejandro Neyra Gou (No. 2)
Ismael Veulens Cabo (No. 1)
Open Regatta, (6 Oars and Coxswain) - 1200m
Varadero Beach
Club Varadero won in 6' 07"
Crew:
Julio Castro Asúnsolo (Coxswain)
Abel Quirch Menéndez (No. 6, Stroke)
Francisco Tolón Junco (No. 5)
Manuel Rivas Viera (No. 4)
Sadoch Quirch Menéndez (No. 3)
Abelardo Fernández Fernández (No. 2)
Raúl Tolón Valdés (No. 1)
Varadero National Seniors Regatta - 1500m
Liceum of Cárdenas won in 8' 45"
Crew:
Arturo Leal Cabada (Coxswain)
Nicolas Perez Hernández (No. 4, Stroke)
Antonio Rodríguez Frugani (No. 3)
Rolando González Lajonchere (No. 2)
Carlos Ruiz Amador (No. 1)
Singles Regatta, (2 Oars) - 1500m
Varadero Beach
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 9' 28"
Jorge Lorenzo Mederos
Singles Regata, (2 Oars) - 1500m
Varadero Beach
Club Náutico de Varadero won (Race was not timed)
Alejandro Portel Vilá
Junior U.A. Singles Regatta - 1500m
Havana Seashore
Club Náutico Varadero won in 9'28"
Luis Carol Aguirregaviria
Singles Regatta - 1500m
Varadero Beach
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 7' 05"
Luis Carol Aguirregaviria
Varadero National Seniors Regatta - 1500m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 5' 46"
Crew:
Felipe Hernández Cabrera (Coxswain)
Manuel Prieto Fernández (No. 4, Stroke)
Roberto Sánchez La Herran (No. 3)
Juan Laffont Hernández (No. 2)
Luis Rubio Crespo (No. 1)
Varadero National Seniors Regatta - 1500m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 5' 43"
Crew:
Felipe Hernández Cabrera (Coxswain)
Manuel Prieto Fernández (No. 4, Stroke)
Roberto Sánchez La Herran (No. 3)
Juan Laffont Hernández (No. 2)
Luis Rubio Crespo (No. 1)
Varadero National Seniors Regatta - 1500m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 6' 20"
Crew:
Gilberto Veliz Alvarez (Coxswain)
Juan Rojas Smith (No. 4, Stroke)
Fernando Castro Larrieu (No. 3)
Julio Castro Valdés (No. 2)
Arturo Castro Valdés (No. 1)
Cienfuegos National Juniors Regatta - 1500m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 5' 28"
Crew:
Carlos Diliz Jorge (Coxswain)
Joaquin Pérez Febles (No. 4, Stroke)
Alberto Padrón Villar (No. 3)
Oscar Lara López (No. 2)
José Roa Hernández (No. 1)
Cienfuegos National Juniors Regatta - 1500m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 5' 24"
Crew:
Virgilio Ara Perdomo (Coxswain)
José Hurtado París (No. 4, Stroke)
José Romero Santos Finalés (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
Miguel Castro Valdés (No. 1)
Varadero National Seniors Regatta - 1500m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 5' 24"
Crew:
Virgilio Ara Perdomo (Coxswain)
José Hurtado París (No. 4, Stroke)
José Romero Santos Finalés (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
José Roa Hernández (No. 1)
Note: The winning crew won the right to represent
Cuba in the México-Cuba Dual Meet.
México-Cuba Dual Meet, Seniors - 1500m
Canal de Kawama, Varadero
Cuba, represented by Club Náutico de Varadero, won in 5' 13"
Crew:
Virgilio Ara Perdomo (Coxswain)
José Hurtado París (No. 4, Stroke)
José Romero Santos Finalés (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
José Roa Hernández (No. 1)
Insignia: Club Náutico de Varadero / Federation of Amateur Cuban Rowing
Havana Yacht Club Seniors Regatta (8 Oars with Coxswain) - 2,000m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 6' 12" (Record)
Crew:
Ernesto Viera Lastra (Coxswain)
José Hurtado París (No. 8, Stroke)
José Romero Santos Finalés (No. 7)
Oscar Lara López (No. 6)
Alberto Padrón Villar (No. 5)
Joaquín Pérez Febles (No. 4)
José Roa Hernández (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
Miguel Castro Valdés (No. 1)
Biltmore Seniors Regatta (8 Oars with Coxswain) - 2,400m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 7' 40"
Crew:
Virgilio Ara Perdomo (Coxswain)
José Hurtado París (No. 8, Stroke)
José Romero Santos Finalés (No. 7)
Orlando Lanza Alvarez (No. 6)
José Roa Hernández (No. 5)
Joaquín Pérez Febles (No. 4)
Alberto Padrón Villar (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
Miguel Castro Valdés (No. 1)
Varadero National Seniors Regatta - 1500m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 5' 23"
Crew:
Virgilio Ara Perdomo (Coxswain)
José Hurtado París (No. 4, Stroke)
José Romero Santos Finalés (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
José Roa Hernández (No. 1)
Note: The winning crew won the right to represent
Cuba in the México-Cuba Dual Meet.
Habana Yacht Club Seniors Regatta (8 Oars with Coxswain) - 2,000m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 6' 27"
Crew:
Virgilio Ara Perdomo (Coxswain)
José Hurtado París (No. 8, Stroke)
José Romero Santos Finalés (No. 7)
Orlando Lanza Alvarez (No. 6)
José Roa Hernández (No. 5)
Joaquín Pérez Febles (No. 4)
Enrique Hernández Díaz (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
Luis Olivera Rodríguez (No. 1)
Biltmore Seniors Regatta (8 Oars with Coxswain) - 2,400m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 7' 36" (Record)
Crew:
Ernesto Viera Lastra (Coxswain)
José Hurtado París (No. 8, Stroke)
José Romero Santos Finalés (No. 7)
Orlando Lanza Alvarez (No. 6)
José Roa Hernández (No. 5)
Joaquín Pérez Febles (No. 4)
Enrique Hernández Díaz (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
Luis Olivera Rodríguez (No. 1)
México-Cuba Dual Meet, Seniors - 1200m
Cuemanco Canal, Xochimilco, México
Cuba, represented by Club Náutico de Varadero, won in 4' 03"
Crew:
Virgilio Ara Perdomo (Coxswain)
José Hurtado París (No. 4, Stroke)
José Romero Santos Finalés (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
José Roa Hernández (No. 1)
México Seniors Championships, (8 Oars with Coxswain) - 1,200m
Xochimilco, México
Cuba, represented by Club Náutico de Varadero, won in 3' 39"
Crew:
Ernesto Viera Lastra (Coxswain)
Joaquín Pérez Febles (No. 8, Stroke)
José Romero Santos Finalés (No. 7)
Orlando Lanza Alvarez (No. 6)
José Roa Hernández (No. 5)
José Hurtado París (No. 4)
Enrique Hernández Díaz (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
Luis Olivera Rodríguez (No. 1)
Crew:
Virgilio Ara Perdomo (Coxswain)
José Hurtado París (No. 4, Stroke)
José Romero Santos Finalés (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
José Roa Hernández (No. 1)
The Cuban Olympic rowers (from Club Náutico de Varadero)
leaving for Australia in November of 1956, with Dr. Carlos Hernández
Varadero National Singles Regatta - 1500m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 5' 05"
Crew:
Ernesto Viera Lastra (Coxswain)
José Hurtado París (No. 4, Stroke)
Enrique Hernández Diaz (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
Luis Olivera Rodriguez (No. 1)
Habana Yacht Club Seniors Regatta (8 Oars with Coxswain) - 2,000m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 6' 15"
Crew:
Ernesto Viera Lastra (Coxswain)
José Hurtado París (No. 8, Stroke)
José Romero Santos Finalés (No. 7)
Orlando Lanza Alvarez (No. 6)
Luis Olivera Rodríguez (No. 5)
José Castillo Herrera (No. 4)
Enrique Hernández Díaz (No. 3)
Enrique Torres Larrauri (No. 2)
Augusto Fernández Hernández (No. 1)
National D.G.D. Novice Regatta (4 Oars with Coxswain) - 1500m
Santiago de Cuba Bay
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 4' 09"
Crew:
Rodolfo Ojeda González (Coxswain)
José González Griego (No. 4, Stroke)
Juan Guerra González (No. 3)
Mario González Campa (No. 2)
Víctor Santana Aguiar (No. 1)
Cienfuegos National Juniors Regatta - 1500m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 5' 14"
Crew:
Rodolfo Ojeda González (Coxswain)
José González Griego (No. 4, Stroke)
Juan Guerra González (No. 3)
Carlos Diliz Jorge (No. 2)
José Jiménez Rey (No. 1)
Varadero National Singles Regatta - 2000m
Club Náutico de Varadero won in 7' 15"
Crew:
Rodolfo Ojeda González (Coxswain)
José González Griego (No. 4, Stroke)
Juan Guerra González (No. 3)
Mario González Campa (No. 2)
José Jimenez Rey (No. 1)
Dr. Carlos T. Hernández Mauri:
"The Americas' Rowing Gentleman"
Entitled EL DEPORTE DEL REMO EN CUBA 1910 - 1960
(The Sport of Rowing in Cuba 1910 - 1960)
A special thanks to the author's father, Ernesto G. de la Fé, who using Dr. Hernandez's book, collected and organized the Cárdenas and Varadero rowing data so it could be presented in this format.
We also used photos from the private collection of Mr. Alejandro Portell Vilá (RIP), as well as data and photos from the C.N.V. yearbook entitled: "Memorias del Club Náutico de Varadero, 1962."
