TRIBUTE TO MANU PERELLÓ
Sep 25

TRIBUTE TO MANU PERELLÓ

Badalona was the venue as the rowing family came together from all parts of the country to pay tribute to Manu Perelló, a lover of the sea particularly associated with fishing and rowing. The Rowing section of the Bétulo Sailing Club organised the event combining competitive races with a good atmosphere on the quay – just the way it is at most rowing meets. They were paying tribute to Manu Perelló, who first became interested in the sea at Tarragona Sailing Club when he was a child. He trained with his twin brother, Joan Pere, and achieved considerable successes, winning the gold medal in the Catalan championships and the silver in the Spanish ones during his first year of competition. His second passion, fishing, became his job and took him to Port de la Selva, where he also left his mark, organising the first fixed-seat rowing races in Catalonia in 1986. He took his passion for rowing to new areas and new generations. When his daughter went to university in Barcelona, they wanted to find a club nearby and it was then that Manu became a great success at the Bétulo Club. He enjoyed his time as trainer, always with some idea or other in his head. In 2012 he managed to take a women’s team from all over Catalonia to the famous La Kontxa race in San Sebastián. Thanks to his selfless efforts, what amounted to Catalan national rowing team took part in the race.

Later, he helped out at the Marítim Club in Barcelona. It wasn’t surprising them, that Badalona marina was packed to pay tribute to him. The races began at 4pm over a 2000 m course against the clock, with an 800 m final for those with the two best times in each category starting from opposite ends and with two turns. The event ended after 7pm and good coordination from the Bétulo and Marina teams kept disruption to the port entrance to a minimum on a lovely September afternoon. Most of the winners of the exciting competitions were local. The Bétulo women’s team, including Manu’s daughter, were put together for the occasion and did well enough to become champions – a great tribute to the great man. In the other events, the Badalona Rowing Club team, where Manu also left his mark and which includes experts in turning boats, won the women’s and men’s senior categories.  The only trophy that didn’t stay in Badalona went to Torredembarra, courtesy of their men’s veterans’ team.