Monument to the Lateen Sail

The sculpture Ceñida. Monumento a la Vela Latina is a tribute by artist Juan Antonio Giraldo to Canarian lateen sailing, a traditional sport that has been practised in the city’s bay since the early 20th century and forms part of the ethnographic heritage of the Canary Islands.

The sculpture stands on Avenida Marítima, at the level of Bravo Murillo Street and opposite the regatta course.

The earliest recorded sporting regatta of Canarian lateen sailing in the city took place on 24 July 1904, as part of the patron saint festivities of the San Cristóbal neighbourhood. The botes, as these small single-sail boats are known, had been used since the late 19th century, with the growth of port activity, to transport passengers and goods from ships anchored in the bay. Competition among the boteros gave rise to this sport, which remains deeply rooted today.