Meet Valle de la Riba, the shipowner who boosts classic boats preservation

The president of Spain’s Classic Sailing Foundation sails aboard the ‘Livia’, a ship built in Mallorca, in the Illes Balears Clàssics regatta, organized by Club de Mar-Mallorca.

Aboard the ‘Livia’, a ship built in the Myabca shipyard, in Pollença, at the beginning of the decade of 1960 upon a Lewis Francis Herreshoff design, Valle de la Riba sails between memories and projects. After a careful restoration that returned its original elegance to this ship, the president of Spain’s Classic Sailing Foundation combines her role of shipowner with the management of an initiative dedicated to preserving and giving continuity to the nautical patrimony of the country.

“The design of the ‘Livia’ is from 1958, even though it only launched around 1963 or 1964. The restoration has been deeper than we thought at first, but we are thrilled with the result. It is a precious, elegant boat, and we are enjoying it very much”, she explains.

De la Riba is not just the shipowner of the ‘Livua’, but also the booster of an ambitious project: Spain’s Classic Sailing Foundation.”The idea came up when we realized that, when we are not present anymore, our children will probably not want to take charge of the boats. For us it’s almost part of the family, and we think that other shipowners could have the same problem. We created the foundation so that the classic vessels that stayed with no continuity could have a place to be maintained and restored”, she explains.

The foundation has set a shipyard that is practically finished in Sherry’s port, destined to construction, restoring and maintenance of classic ships. In addition, it develops programs to regain traditional jobs such as shore’s carpenter in the bay of Cádiz.

Her link with classic sailing strengthened when Sherry’s port, along the Foundation of Lusitana, obtained the right of use of the historical vessels: ‘Hispania’ and ‘Giraldilla’. “It was my husband’s idea. When he passed away the year before initiating the project, I took charge and discovered this passionate world. Sailing on a classic boat is doing it the old-fashioned way. I love that kids learn in them, because they find manoeuvres that are completely new. The wood, you either love it or hate it… In my case, I love it”, she confesses.

For the president of Spain’s Classic Sailing Foundation, regattas are essential: “If there were no classic competitions, many shipowners would not have the incentive of keeping their boats. That healthy competition that makes us have today a magnificent fleet. With no regattas, we would disappear little by little”. 

Currently, the foundation sails with the ‘Livia’ and the ‘Gipsy’, while it gets ready for the restoration of other ships. “Now that the shipyard is almost ready, we have more boats awaiting their turn. Maybe next year we will come with one more. We are still very thrilled, open to new projects and enjoying this wonder that are classic boats”, she ensures.

Regarding if she will repeat next season, Valle de la Riba does not doubt: “Of course. This is a mandatory date. Here we are taken care of by sea as well as by land. You always have to come”.