Total success of the Sails for Alzheimer’s Workshops

At Julio Verne Náutica we have always known that the sea has a special magnetism, but what we have lived these last weeks has marked us forever. Today we want to share with you, for the first time on our website, the success of the phases of the workshops and visits of our social innovation project: Sails for Alzheimer’s disease.

For us, this is not just another project. It is our way of turning our passion for sailing into a real welfare tool for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers in the Vigo estuary.

What are we building at Jules Verne?

We have been inspired by the “Veles per l’Alzheimer” methodology to create a program adapted to our coast. At Julio Verne Náutica we not only offer a boat ride; we design therapeutic sailing experiences where the sea acts as a stimulus for memory and a refuge for emotional well-being.

Our goal is clear: to demonstrate that our boats are inclusive spaces where no one is left on land.

What we have achieved in our workshops

We have completed the training and workshops phase with results that fill us with pride. During these days, we have led activities designed to connect with the participants:

• Stimulation and Reminiscence: We have worked with puzzles and photographs of our local seafaring culture, awakening stories and memories that seemed dormant.

• Seafaring Skills: In our knot workshops we have seen how the practice of cabuyería became a perfect exercise in psychomotor skills and self-improvement.

• Our Commitment: All of our team and volunteers have been specifically trained with AFAGA Alzheimer. We are not only professionals of the sea; we have prepared ourselves thoroughly to take care of every detail and offer an environment of safety and maximum empathy.

Next goal: Inclusive final regatta

After having successfully closed the workshops, in Julio Verne Náutica we are already preparing the big milestone of the project. Very soon we will celebrate the Final Inclusive Regatta in the Vigo Estuary.

It will be a day in which we will sail together (users, families, volunteers and our team) to give visibility to this cause. We want the sea to be filled with solidarity sails and, therefore, we invite other clubs and boats to join our fleet.

Stay tuned! We will announce the official date soon. Thank you for joining us on this voyage. In Julio Verne Náutica we remain convinced that, although memory may fail, the sea always helps us to feel at home.

Iván Pérez-Gándaras

CEO Julio Verne Náutica |  + postsBio ⮌

Iván Pérez-Gándaras is CEO of Julio Verne Náutica and the main Director of the company's RYA Training Center. His vast experience is based on the highest nautical qualifications such as Yachtmaster without limits, STCW95 and RYA Yachtmaster Offshore with commercial endorsement. He has accumulated more than 20,000 ocean miles in deliveries and transatlantic crossings, in addition to 30,000 miles in scientific expeditions, including Antarctica and Newfoundland.

A trainer since 1993 and instructor of nautical qualifications since 2009, his background combines a solid technical background with exceptional practical experience. With a degree in Marine Biology from the University of Santiago de Compostela and World Champion in Dinghy Sailing (1989), his unique perspective ensures that Julio Verne Náutica's articles, training and charter services are delivered with the highest level of technical rigor and passion for the sea.

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