SPANISH TRAINING SHIP, MOORED IN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

DURING HIS LONG LIFE SHE HAS SHOWED HER SILHOUETTE THROUGH ALL THE OCEANS, AVOIDING THE MOST VARIED SEAS AND WINDS THANKS TO HER SAILOR CHARACTER, ARRIVING AT THE MOST DISTANT PORTS. HER RECORD INCLUDES TEN ROUNDS OF THE WORLD.

THE "ELCANO", AS THE SPANIARDS CALLS HER, HAS AS MOST IMPORTANT TASK THE TRAINING OF THE FUTURE OFFICERS OF THE NAVY.

WITH THIS OBJECTIVE, SHE USUALLY CARRIES OUT AN ANNUAL TRAINING CRUISE OF AROUND SIX MONTHS, USUALLY FAR FROM SPAIN.

APPROXIMATELY THREE-QUARTERS PASS AT SEA-AND DURING THIS TIME FUTURE OFFICERS ATTEND THE CLASSROOM AND PARTICIPATE IN ALL MANEUVERS OF THE TALL SHIP.

SHE IS ALSO A FLOATING EMBASSY. HER PRESENCE IN FOREIGN PORTS SUPPORTS SPANISH FOREIGN POLICY AND, BY SHOWING THE FLAG, IN ADDITION TO SPREADING A GOOD IMAGE, ALLOWS MANY SPANIARDS WHO LIVE OUTSIDE THEIR HOMELAND TO STEP ON THIS PIECE OF SPAIN AT SEA.

THE SHIP TAKES HER NAME FROM AN EXCELLENT AND FAMOUS SAILOR, JUAN SEBASTIÁN DE ELCANO, PROTAGONIST OF ONE OF THE GREATEST GOALS OF SPANISH MARITIME HISTORY.

HE WAS BORN IN GUITARÍA (GUIPÚZCOA) IN 1476. IN 1519 HE ENROLLED AS AN EXPERT NAVIGATOR IN AN EXPEDITION OF FIVE SHIPS. ARMED BY THE KING CARLOS I OF SPAIN INITIALLY IN SEVILLE, IT LEFT SANLÚCAR DE BARRAMEDA IN SEPTEMBER OF 1519, TO THE COMMAND OF THE PORTUGUESE MAGALLANES, TO FIND A NEW ROUTE TOWARDS THE ISLANDS OF THE SPICES.

AFTER SURROUNDING AMERICA BY THE SOUTH, DISCOVERING THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND COUNTLESS HARDSHIPS (DEATH OF MAGALLANES, SHIPWRECKS, FAMINE ...), THE EXPEDITION, OF WHICH ONLY THE NAO "VICTORIA" UNDER ELCANO WAS LEFT, ARRIVED TO SPAIN THREE YEARS AFTER THE DEPARTURE, AFTER HAVING TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY.

KING CARLOS I GRANTED TO ELCANO COAT OF ARMS THAT CONTAINED A TERRESTRIAL GLOBE WITH THE MOTTO PRIMUS CIRCUMDEDISTI ME (you who first circumnavitgated me)