The Spanish Navy training ship ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ set sail last Sunday from the isle of Madeira after a four-day stop. It was the 16th time the tall-ship visited this island.
On Friday 16th the ship welcomed the Spanish Ambassador to Portugal, Mr. Eduardo Gutiérrez who attended a press conference with the Commanding Officer, Captain Ignacio Paz on the ship’s deck. They talked about the forthcoming celebrations of the 500 anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the globe carried out by the Spanish sailor Juan Sebastián de Elcano. It is also the 600 anniversary of the discovery of Madeira by Portuguese sailors.
A reception was held onboard for local military and civilian authorities. An Open-Day was organized on Saturday where more than 400 people visited the ship. Captain Paz gave a conference on ‘Elcano’, the sailor and the training ship, at the Cotton Museum in Funchal.
A mass was celebrated on the ship’s deck on Sunday, as well as a pledge of allegiance to the flag ceremony for Spanish citizens living in the island. The ceremony was presided over by the Ambassador Eduardo Gutiérrez. On the evening, the ship left Funchal and headed towards Las Palmas (Canary Islands), the next port of call of her 90th Training Cruise.