25th Anniversary of CNSE
The Santa Eulalia Nautical Club was founded in October 1991 by a group of friends from the riverside town who poured all their enthusiasm and hard work into making the dream of having a nautical club in the municipality a reality. Thanks to all these people, the founding members who supported this project, and the Santa Eulalia City Council, they managed to set sail.
Following the latest mandatory adaptation, the club's bylaws define it as a private association, which, non-profit, aims to promote, develop, and continually practice physical activity and sports, as well as protect the disabled, children, and people at risk of social exclusion, and provide social services of general interest.
The current sports sections include sailing, swimming, and canoeing. Additionally, the club organizes social activities and events such as the traditional procession of the Virgen del Carmen, beach water activities, and diving practice, among others. It has also managed and operated the two municipal pools in Santa Eulalia del Río for years.
The social census registered almost a thousand members, including 2 honorary members and 246 founding members. There is also a census of over a hundred athletes across the main sections, and several thousand people visit our facilities each year.
Notable events include the 2013 Tornado World Championship, an international competition that demonstrated the club's ability to compete with the best. Another successful high-level competition was the Adapted Sailing Cup of Spain and the latest edition of Ultraswim, where one of the crossings was part of the II Copa España Aguas Abiertas de la RFN, held on May 21, 2016.
Origins
The first meetings to create the Santa Eulalia Nautical Club took place in the late eighties. After several failed attempts, the club was finally established and began its sporting activities in October 1991.
Without its own headquarters at the time, the bureaucratic management and initial meetings were conducted thanks to the generosity of various members who offered their homes and premises. Later, thanks to the gratitude of Juan Riera "The Firefighter", a small office above the Rincón del Marino became the first headquarters, where members and friends gathered to work on projects and enjoy paellas and good times after organized regattas.
Years later, the City Council built a multipurpose facility on the Promenade, where the Nautical Club would be installed, in the same location it occupies today, right at the marina entrance, welcoming all port visitors.
It was then, with the new headquarters, that the Board of Directors at the time negotiated with the marina concessionaire to acquire a significant number of moorings, allowing members to conveniently and safely dock their boats, increasing the club's membership.
Municipal Sailing School
The same year the club was founded, the Sailing School section was inaugurated. Initially located on Santa Eulalia Beach, the school started with just 6 Optimists and 6 boards, bought with the help of various founding members. These were challenging years, but the Sailing School's efforts paid off, fulfilling the club's commitment to promote, develop, and improve sailing. The Santa Eulalia Marina also contributed by allowing the Sailing School to be set up between jetties J and K in 1998, marking the first significant improvement for this section, enabling year-round sailing.
The same happened five years later when the marina allowed the school to move to the breakwater's head, further improving and expanding the fleet. That year, Jaime Foix Cenefeld stepped down as sailing secretary, but his and his wife's commendable efforts had significantly contributed to the school's success up to that point.
Adapted Sailing
In October 2003, the Santa Eulalia Nautical Club took a step further by organizing Adapted Sailing courses, being pioneers in the Pitiuses in offering these courses. The club had and still has a clear objective of reducing the barriers of physical, mental, and/or sensory disabilities.
The school progressed, but having more space and better shelter was not enough, as there were still important needs to address, which could only be met with proper facilities including changing rooms and classrooms. Thanks to the invaluable collaboration of the municipal government, the SANTA EULALIA MUNICIPAL SAILING SCHOOL was inaugurated in 2011, located on the Promenade, very close to the club's headquarters.
Swimming Team
Another notable section is the Swimming Team, inaugurated in October 1998.
Previously, swimming activities in the town were limited to summer courses in July and August, focused on teaching, learning, and improving swimming skills at the outdoor pool in Santa Eulalia's sports grounds.
Due to the growing demand for this activity and the lack of more than one indoor pool on the island, the City Council decided to renovate the sports facility, making it suitable to meet the residents' needs by enclosing it and installing a heating system for year-round use.
In 1998, the new indoor aquatic facility was inaugurated, and later that year, the CNNS (Santa Eulalia Nautical Club Swimming Team) was formed. In the 1999/2000 season, the team began competing with boys and girls from the City Council's courses, and has since achieved numerous successes, winning nine Spanish medals to date.
Canoeing School
The latest section added to the club is Canoeing. This section started a couple of years ago with organized kayak outings for rowing enthusiasts. That same year, the club also began collaborating with the City Council's summer camps for this sport. Both activities continue, and since last year, year-round kayak courses have been organized, aiming to form a canoeing team.
Club Presidents
1991-2016
This year, the Santa Eulalia Nautical Club celebrates its 25th Anniversary, and all who know its history understand that it deserves our full recognition.
In these first 25 years, we have had three Presidents who, along with their respective Boards of Directors, have selflessly invested their time and effort, enabling hundreds of athletes and enthusiasts to enjoy nautical and aquatic sports with the best available facilities and resources.
Our achievements have been possible thanks to the trust and support of everyone in this big family: athletes, coaches, workers, assistants, club members, sponsors, collaborators, parents, and relatives in general.
For all those who believe in this Club and the values of sport, the work and effort invested are infinitely rewarded. We are confident that this is just the beginning of a great story, one that we trust will continue to bring successes and anniversaries.
