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Yachts Ensign (Spain)

Pabellón para Embarcaciones de Recreo

2:3 | stripes 1+2+1 |
image by Santiago Dotor and António Martins
Flag adopted 21st January 1977

Description
Flag Variants

See also:

Ensigns, Jack and Commissioning Pennant (Pabellones, Torrotito y Gallardete)
Spanish Sailing Federation Ensign 1945-1988 (Spain)
Yachts Ensign 1945-1977 (Spain)
Yacht Club Burgees (Spain)
Spain

Description

The Spanish national ensign for yachts is a Spanish flag with a blue crown centered in the yellow stripe (and no coat-of-arms).

Santiago Dotor, 06 May 1999

According to Calvo and Grávalos 1983, "at some point between 1975 and 1977" – which was certainly in the 1977 Decree on flags – the crown was once again changed to a royal all-blue flag. I ignore whether the 1977 Decree included a graphical design or only a description, and Calvo and Grávalos 1983 does not include it. In Spanish ports I have seen several versions, most of them fitting one of the above two.

Santiago Dotor, 25 Jun 1999

Spanish magazine ¡Hola! (no.2767, 21 August 1997, page 94) shows this flag in yet another variation. A bullfighter is shown in his yacht and the ensign at the stern is well visible, even if not completely unfurled. It seems to be a 30x45 cm flag, and the shade of blue is darker than in Santiago Dotor's images (I used RGB:0-0-153). The crown is also neither variant, but a compromise between them (solid cushion, outlined stems); the lower ring and the gems on it are however clearly visible.

António Martins, 14 Jul 1999

Album des Pavillons 2000 shows the version with full blue crown, variant 1 on FOTW.

Željko Heimer, 06 Aug 2001

The crown in full colour was only used until 1931, when the Spanish Republic adopted a yellow mural crown (on the red-yellow-purple flag of course) which was replaced with a yellow open royal crown in 1938 (on the red-yellow-red flag) and in 1945 by a blue imperial coronet following the model of the Catholic Kings.

Santiago Dotor, 04 Sep 2001

Flag Variants

Variant 1
2:3 | stripes 1+2+1 |
image by Santiago Dotor

Variant 2
2:3 | stripes 1+2+1 |
image by Santiago Dotor

Variant 3
2:3 | stripes 1+2+1 |
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 14 Jul 2003

A photo I have seen shows what seems to be yet a fourth variation of the Spanish yacht ensign – besides the three already pictured; it looks mostly like variant 2 (outlined cushion, solid stems) but the rim details seems visible, like in the main image.

António Martins-Tuválkin, 14 Jul 2003

It looks like there are as many variants of the yacht ensign as manufacturers. Actually, considering homemade flags, flag restitching etc. almost as many as ships!

Santiago Dotor, 15 Jul 2003