Cuba’s Recreational Nautical Activities and Its Flagship Club

Those words are certified by the presence in that team of a large number of U.S. citizens, even before diplomatic relations between Washington and Havana were established in 2015.

Commodore Jose Miguel Diaz Escrich, who is in charge of promoting the seafaring tradition of friendship and good will, has headed the Club, with headquarters in the Hemingway Marina, in western Havana, since 1992.

Diaz Escrich recently told this journalist that his institution is made up of 3,053 members from 73 countries, 46 percent of whom are from the United States (1,397 members).

The Club organizes regattas, exhibitions, exchanges, competitions and other events that not only involve diplomats, business people and visitors, but also a young generation of sailing enthusiasts, for example.

Precisely, the festivities to celebrate the Club’s anniversary will last the entire year and will include more than 18 regattas, especially those departing from the United States, and the intention by all participants, both local and foreigners, is that the restrictions imposed more than 50 years ago by the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade on Cuba be lifted.

Due to those restrictions, U.S. citizens can visit Cuba only if they fall into 12 categories approved by the Department of Treasury. They cannot travel freely as tourists.

Such avalanche (thousands of yachts) would demand the enlargement of ports, because only the Hemingway Marina (Havana) and the Gaviota Varadero Marina (Matanzas) have the adequate conditions. An example is in the Bahamas islands, where some 70 million U.S. tourists arrive on their recreational boats every year.

Cuba is already receiving 4.2 million foreign tourists by land, but some officials estimate that there is a potential to receive ten million vacationers when lodging and recreational facilities are fully developed.

The Cuban tourist group Gaviota runs one-third of the country’s hotel capacity (62,000 rooms), it operates 35 modern catamarans, and 225,000 travelers participate in its nautical activities on 22 fishing boats and 10 diving boats.

Meanwhile, Grupo Empresarial de Náuticas y Marinas Marlin handles more than 400,000 clients every year in five international marinas and 11 nautical bases in 39 diving zones, with 23 diving centers and visits to 900 underwater spots.

According to those statistics and statements by spokespeople, one can arrive at the conclusion that the plan is to place the Cuban archipelago among the top Caribbean destinations in terms of nautical activities. (Taken from Prensa Latina)