A trainera is a traditional boat of the Cantabrian Sea coast at the southern end of the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay ( ) is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc'h to the Spanish border, and along the northern coast of Spain, extending westward ...

, propelled by oars, and formerly

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...

. It is a boat of fine lines with raised

prow The bow () is the forward part of the hull (watercraft), hull of a ship or boat, the point that is usually most forward when the vessel is underway. The aft end of the boat is the stern. Prow may be used as a synonym for bow or it may mean the f ...

and rounded

stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. O ...

, to resist the waves of the Cantabrian sea. Traineras were originally used by fishermen to bring in the day’s catch of anchovies and

sardine Sardine and pilchard are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring suborder Clupeoidei. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century; a somewhat dubious etymology says it com ...

s from sea to market, usually competing to sell their caught fish before others came in. Today, this historical tradition has become a major sport of coastal boat racing.

Other languages and etymology

The name trainera ( Spanish), traineru (also treineru, treñero or triñero in

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

), traînière ( French), traiñeira (also traíña in Galician) and traineira ( Portuguese) is derived from the word ''traína'', a closely woven net used in the fishing of sardines and anchovies, itself derived from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''tragināre'', from ''trahĕre'' "to pull, drag".

Distribution

The historic trainera regattas, ''estropadak'' in Basque, are a popular sport held all along the

, all the way through the coast of Basque Country,

Cantabria Cantabria (, ; ) is an autonomous community and Provinces of Spain, province in northern Spain with Santander, Cantabria, Santander as its capital city. It is called a , a Nationalities and regions of Spain, historic community, in its current ...

Asturias Asturias (; ; ) officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensive with the provinces of Spain, province of Asturias and contains some of the territory t ...

and Galicia between July and October. Numerous competitions are held each year such as the oldest regatta '' Bandera de Santander'' or the most famous '' Kontxako Bandera'', and there are various trainera leagues such as the premier league Liga San Miguel or the second divisions Liga Asociación de Remo del Cantábrico and Liga Galega de Traiñeiras.

Boats and rules

Today the boats are manned by a crew of 13 oarsmen sitting in pairs (except for the thirteenth, who sits alone in the bows) and a cox standing up facing them in the stern. The bowman or bow-woman also has a 15th oar which is used for helping with the steering in tight turns. As is common in other such events, the cox is responsible for steering the boat and keeping up the morale of the team. Each boat flies a particular flag and wears a team strip and often the boat is painted in the team's colours as well. Traditional materials were entirely cedar and beech

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

, with the construction process taking at least a month or month and a half. The boats themselves are 12m long, 1.72m wide (at midship), 95 cm. bow, 75 cm stern and 60.5 cm in depth. The total weight of the boat including baton, bench, and hitters have to be 210–230 kg but may not weigh less than 200 kg (excluding oars and equipment). Nowadays, traineras are made of

carbon fiber Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers ( Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon comp ...

and

kevlar Kevlar (para-aramid) is a strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, the high-strength material was first used commercially in the early 1970s as ...

with techniques similar to those in aeronautical construction (such as for Airbus wings.Las traineras se construyen con avanzadas técnicas de la aeronáutica
'' El Diario Montañés'' (in Spanish). Boats are fitted amongst other things with GPS systems, creating better boats but also pushing up prices. The lifespan of a boat at a top club is usually two or three years. In the 1970s a ''trainera'' cost around 45,000 pesetas; 2008 prices start at around €25,000. A race normally covers a distance of 5.5 km with either a single trip to a buoy and back or two return trips. Each boat has its own lane and may not cross into another boat's lane and the oars (and boats) of different boats may not touch. A race is normally restarted if something irregular happens within the first 20 seconds of a race. Apart from the prize money for each race, the winning team is awarded a ''bandera'' (flag) of the town or

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

. The winning team traditionally holds all oars vertically into the air, the so-called ''remos arriba'' or ''arraunak gora'', "oars up".

Women and traineras

Although most rowing teams were male, evidence from the historical bertsos tells us that female rowers existed, referred to as ''batelerak'' in Basque. The name derives from ''batel'', a name for a smaller type of boat with 4 rowers and a cox. Evidence can also be seen in the traditional '' batelera dantza'' (batelera dance) which is performed by women with oars. More recently, female teams have also begun to take plains in the trainera regattas proper.

History

The origins of the various kinds of trainera regatta lie in

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

and

whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...

, both highly important sources of income in earlier periods. Traditionally, the first boat back at the quay got the best price for their fish. As the boat and all equipment was usually owned by the skipper and the crew hired by oral contract, the skipper would first deduct the boat and net share (25%) from the earnings, then deduct any further expenses for bait and provisions. Only then would the remained be shared in equal parts so it was in everybody's interest to get back as fast as possible to get the best price possible. Similarly, when whaling was at its height in along the

teams would race to be the first to reach a sighted whale. The boats used in the regattas were originally working

fishing boat A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals (e.g. shrimps/prawns, krills, coleoids, etc.) in the sea, lake or river. Humans have used different kinds of surface vessels in commercial, arti ...

s, the frame made from

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

and the hull from

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

. There were three main categories: * The ''trainera'' which has and elevated prow and rounded stern, ideally suited for navigating the choppy waters off the coast at speed needed to catch anchovy and

s. The crew consists of 13 rowers and one cox. The rowers are divided into two rows of six, plus the bow rower, who is alone on his bench. * The ''trainerilla'' ( Spanish for 'little trainera') has a crew of 6 rowers and one cox, all sitting in a row. * The ''batel'' or chipironier is a smaller boat used close to the coast for a variety of fish, with 4 rowers and a cox. * The bateliku is a smaller boat used close to the coast for a variety of fish, with 3 rowers and a cox. Since the year 1850, there was evidence of challenges in the Cantabrian village of Castro Urdiales between local crews and sometimes with the

Biscay Biscay ( ; ; ), is a province of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the Bay of Biscay, eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilb ...

ans who were manning the Coast Guard cutters. The first documented regatta which was held as a sporting event was in 1859 in the Bay of Santander between the people of Castro Urdiales and some Biscayan crews. The Castro Urdiales team won the race and regattas have been held as sporting event ever since. Much more important was the race held in Santander two years later, in 1861, in the presence of Queen Isabella II on official visit to the capital of Cantabria. The

ns beat back to the Biscayans and the local press echoed the news and even a famous folk song known as the ''Jota del Regateo'' was composed. The ''Flag of Santander'' is still held today, making it the oldest rowing competition that is still celebrated in Spain. The first documented ''estropada'' in Basque Country was twelve years later, in 1871, between the people of Hondarribia and

Pasaia Pasaia () is a town and municipality located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community of northern Spain. It is a fishing community, commercial port and the birthplace of the famous admiral Blas de Lezo and of the fashion de ...

, involving a bet about who could reach

San Sebastián San Sebastián, officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián (, ), is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, from the France–Spain border ...

first setting our from Hondarribia. The Pasaia team won the 13 mile race. Originally the teams would race from one particular seaside town to another but today most races are held locally. In 1916 a man from Mutriku called Bizente Ormazabal built a new, sleek type of boat for a group from Getaria called ''Golondrina'' ( Spanish for 'swallow'). At the same time motors ( chipironier) were introduced to the fishing industry so the commercial use of rowing boats quickly disappeared and more and more were used for the ''estropadak''. Over time the design changed, building more for speed than fishing, reducing the weight and the width. As rowing turned from a profession into a sport, fewer and fewer fishermen competed and more and more teams were put together from non-seafaring backgrounds as they could train more regularly than fishermen. The most famous of all trainera regattas today is the ''Kontxako Estropadak'', '' Kontxako Bandera'' o ''Bandera de la Concha'', ''Kontxako Badia / Bahía de la Concha'' being the name of the main bay of Donostia. It was first organised by the city's council in 1879 and is said to have drawn a crowd of some 12,000 spectators.

Notable clubs

; Basque Country * Aita Mari Arraun Taldea ( Zumaia), officially founded in 1975 * Arkote Arraun Taldea ( Plentzia), officially founded in 1957 * Deustu Arraun Taldea ( Deustu), officially founded in 1981 * Getariako Arraun Elkartea ( Getaria), officially founded in 1976 * Hondarribia Arraun Elkartea ( Hondarribia), going back to 1862 * Itsasoko Ama (

Santurtzi Santurtzi (; ) is a port of Bilbao, port town in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain. It is located in the Bilbao Abra bay, near the mouth of the Nervión river, on it ...

), officially founded in 1967 * Isuntza Arraun Elkartea ( Lekeitio), officially founded in 1977 * Kaiku Arraunaren Kirol Elkartea ( Sestao), officially founded in 1923 with a ''traineru'' called ''Bizkaitarra'' * Orio Arraun Elkartea ( Orio), going back to 1879 and to date is the team which has won the Kontxako Bandera the most times * Sanpedrotarra Arraun Elkartea (

), going back to 1880 * San Nicolás Arraun Taldea ( Portugalete), officially founded in 1892 * Urdaibai Arraun ( Urdaibai area), officially founded in 1992 by clubs from Bermeo, Elantxobe and Mundaka to promote the sport in the area * Zarauzko Arraun Elkartea (

Zarautz Zarautz (, ) is a coastal town located in central Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, in Spain. It is bordered by Aia to the east and the south and Getaria, Gipuzkoa, Getaria to the west, located about west of San Sebastián, Donostia/San Sebastián. It ha ...

), officially founded in 1983 ;

* Sociedad deportiva de remo Astillero ( El Astillero), officially founded in 1966 * Club de remo Camargo ( Maliaño), officially founded in 1979 * Sociedad deportiva de remo Castro-Urdiales ( Castro-Urdiales), going back to 1879 * Club de remo Colindres ( Colindres), officially founded in 1988 * Club de remo La Maruca ( Santander), officially founded in 1975 * Laredo Remo Club ( Laredo), officially founded in 1975 * Sociedad deportiva de remo Pedreña (

Pedreña Pedreña is a village in the municipality of Marina de Cudeyo, Cantabria, northern Spain. As of 2010, its population was 1,454. Although located from Santander, Cantabria, Santander by road, it lies on a peninsula only about across the bay from ...

), going back to 1895 * Club de remo Pontejos ( Pontejos), officially founded in 1964 * Club de remo Ciudad de Santander ( Santander), officially founded in 1988 * Club de remo Santander ( Santander), officially founded in 1971 * Santoña Club de remo (

Santoña Santoña is a town in the eastern coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. It is situated by the bay of the same name. It is from the capital Santander, Cantabria, Santander. Santoña is divided into two zones, ...

), officially founded in 1979 ; Galicia * Club de remo Cabo de Cruz ( Boiro), officially founded in 1979 * Club de remo Mecos ( O Grove), officially founded in 1980 * Sociedade deportiva Samertolameu ( Meira), officially founded in 1979 * Sociedade deportiva Tirán ( Moaña), officially founded in 1993 The founding dates can be somewhat misleading as many clubs existed long before they were formally founded as clubs.

References

Department of Culture
(in Basque and Spanish) *Etxegoien, J. ''Orhipean'', Xamar 1996 *Kurlansky, M. ''The Basque History of the World'', Vintage 2000

See as well

* batel * Batteleku * Chipironier

External links

Website of the ''Kontxako Bandera''Liga ACT de Traineras
(in English, Basque, Spanish, Galician and French)
Liga ARC de Traineras
Website for ARC1 and ARC2 leagues (in Basque and Spanish)
Euskotren liga
Euskotren women's league website (in English, Basque, Spanish, Galician and French)
ETE liga
ETE women's league website (in Basque and Spanish)
Estropadak.eus
Results and calendars for different trainera leagues in Basque Country (Basque) {{Oared racing boats Culture of the Basque Country Culture of Cantabria Culture of Galicia Basque sport Sport in Cantabria Sport in Galicia (Spain) Sport in Asturias Rowing competitions Rowing racing boats