Diego Torrado, the sailor from Vigo who won the round-the-world race

Originating from Vigo and proud of his Galician roots, Diego Torrado is a well-known figure in the professional sailing circuit, having participated in several Ocean Race editions, as well as being involved in the construction of many high-profile racing yachts and working as boat captain in several TP52, GP42 and RC44 competitions.

Despite having studied agricultural engineering, his great passion for sailing led him to build a professional career in the nautical world from a young age. A great example that with hard work, determination and passion, we can achieve whatever we set our minds to.

At Marina Coruña we met with him while he was working alongside the Viva México team, before departing for The Ocean Race Europe. We tell you all about it!

“The Ocean Race: the importance of the human factor”

Diego Torrado was 8 years old when he started sailing during a summer course in Vigo, Galicia. What he did not know at the time was that what began as a simple “extracurricular” activity would soon become his profession and way of life.

And it was that his ambition and desire to go further coincided with the golden age of Spanish sailing, at the end of the 1990s, when many Spanish teams began to professionalise and make the leap to the international stage, where the sport was also experiencing a boom.

“Evolution comes along as it does with everything in life. As you keep working and putting in the effort, opportunities appear. When I was 18, Spanish sailing was going through an incredible moment and I gradually made my way into the professional world. I was studying agricultural engineering at the time, but I always kept sailing, I moved from one team to another and suddenly I realised that I was professionally dedicated to what I loved most.”

He has always been a sailor and, in his early days, the same sailor was also responsible for managing the boat. But over the years, as the sport became more professional, his role as “shore manager” and “boat captain” became increasingly important.

“The sailing world has become so professional, with more resources, more races, more training, materials, sails, more management… that in the end you need people who dedicate themselves exclusively to management.”

Diego has already participated in several Ocean Race editions, as boat captain with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, which won the 2014-2015 edition, and as “shore manager” with Vestas 11th Hours Racing in 2017-2018.

Although he continues sailing races and staying as active as possible, his current work requires less sailing and more management and control of the boat.

“For me, the best thing about my job is practically everything. Being constantly with the boat and trying to keep it always ready, knowing every technical and mechanical detail… it is something I truly enjoy.”

“When the team goes sailing, I stay ashore. At first it is hard, but you get used to it and you also understand the importance of your work. In a team, we are all key pieces. Everything has to work perfectly, because if one person fails, everyone fails.”

Teamwork is one of the main values that this sport conveys. After all, when you work with a group of people in extreme and very demanding conditions, the key is to trust the people around you and learn how to be a teammate.

“Your day depends on them and you have to be there. That is the value of teamwork that you live with.”

The human factor is fundamental and, to have a good team, it is important to have good leadership. After all, it is a job that has to be pyramidal, there has to be a strong foundation with someone leading and the rest trusting that leadership. From there, everything else is achieved through constant work.

“We have a gold mine, but we are not exploiting it”

With all his experience in the sailing world, Diego is aware that Spain has enormous potential for nautical sports that is still untapped. Several champions have emerged from our waters, but in terms of infrastructure and support, there is still a long way to go to reach the level of countries such as France, England or Italy.

“We have incredible quality in Spain. The sea conditions, the coastline, the people, the quality of life… But we should make ourselves more visible and fight to go out there. Nautical tourism has incredible potential, but we are not exploiting it at the level it deserves.”

“There is also a lot to improve in Galicia, but the problem remains the lack of advertising investment. I would say that we have one of the best coastlines in the world for sailing, for cruising… The estuaries are spectacular and the marinas are incredible and modern.

Furthermore, Galicia is a key passage point between the Mediterranean and northern Europe, where the great sailors pass through. We have an incredible opportunity, a gold mine, but we are not exploiting it. In that sense, we do live with our backs turned to the sea.”

After sailing around the world and experiencing the nautical world in other countries first-hand, the sailor from Vigo Diego Torrado has no doubt that the Galician estuaries and our marinas are among the best he has ever found.

Galicia, a nautical paradise waiting to be discovered