Speech by Pascual Orts, President of CNSP

EUROPAN 18 CANTERA-VARADERO ROUND TABLE

Good morning. I am Pascual Orts, President of the Santa Pola Yacht Club.

I would like to thank the City Council for the invitation and the opportunity to participate with the winning team. From the Club, we come to contribute ideas, but also real commitments to collaboration, because we believe this project will only succeed if it translates into everyday use, activity, and maintenance.

Our club is focused on promoting the practice of dinghy sailing, rowing, canoeing, fishing, cruising sailing, and aqua walking, as well as advancing marine sustainability activities in our surroundings and on Tabarca Island. In addition, we already have proven experience in the philosophy of public-private collaboration: the Yacht Club was the promoter and developer of the Paseo Adolfo Suárez, which has reconnected the port with the city and the city with the port. This demonstrates that when working with a shared vision, tangible results are generated that are highly valued by the public.

That said, we believe the Varadero-Cantera area has a clear opportunity: to become a space with maritime identity, accessible and active, operating year-round, and not merely as a “beautiful” waterfront edge or an empty space waiting for use.

Proposal 1: Active Nautical Base at the Varadero (12 months)

We propose that the Varadero be conceived as a permanent Nautical Sports Base:

• Regular activity in dinghy sailing, rowing, canoeing, and aqua walking.
• Programs for primary and secondary schools: introductory sea experiences, safety, and maritime culture.
• An inclusive/adaptive sports line, so that the sea belongs to everyone.

What this implies in design terms: we are not asking for large buildings; we are asking that the project properly resolve the essentials:

• A clear launching and boatyard area.
• Safe routes for pedestrians and equipment.
• Rinsing points, small support areas, and light storage.
• Logistics that do not invade the promenade or the beach.

Proposal 2: “Living Varadero”: Maritime Memory and Craft

We want the project to recover the memory of the place through a cultural and educational program:

• A workshop-classroom for outreach on knots, rigging, basic maintenance, and safety.
• Demonstrations and open activities for families and visitors.
• Interpretation of the history of the boatyard and the port landscape.

This gives substance to the space, attracts life outside peak season, and reinforces identity without “overloading” the coastline with unnecessary construction.

Proposal 3: Santa Pola-Tabarca as a Sustainability and Marine Education Axis

Santa Pola has a unique asset: Tabarca. We propose that Varadero-Cantera also become a gateway to marine sustainability:

• An annual environmental education and citizen science program (biodiversity, microplastics, environmental observation).
• Best practice campaigns for sailors and sea users.
• Regular coastal and marine clean-up days.

Here, the Club can contribute coordination, volunteers, knowledge of the environment, and partnerships with educational centers and technical organizations.

Proposal 4: The Cantera as a Low-Impact Park-Viewpoint

Regarding the Cantera, we propose a soft public-use approach that is safe and landscape-oriented:

• Accessible trails and viewpoints.
• Geological and historical interpretation.
• A small natural amphitheater for talks, events, and sea-related activities.

The Cantera can be a place for walking, learning, and enjoyment, without the need for major transformations.

Collaboration Commitments We Bring to the Table

To ensure these ideas move beyond words, the Yacht Club offers concrete commitments:

1. An annual calendar of nautical and sustainability activities linked to the Varadero-Cantera area.
2. A permanent educational program with schools: sea, safety, and maritime culture.
3. An identity-driven event plan: a “Varadero Week” (sport + culture + sustainability) with an annual legacy.
4. A technical coordination board between the Club, the City Council, and the winning team to define operations, uses, and compatibilities.
5. Participation in a pilot plan during the first year: activating the space with light infrastructure and evaluating results (use, safety, coexistence, impact).

In short, our proposal is simple: that Varadero-Cantera be a project measured by real life: people in the water, sport, education, maritime culture, and respect for the environment. The Yacht Club wants to be part of the solution, as it already was with Paseo Adolfo Suárez, and we are ready to collaborate from day one with the City Council and the winning team.

Thank you very much.