Lieutenant (Junior Grade) JORGE NADER CURBELO
Jorge Nader Curbelo was born on June 16th 1929, in the province of Maldonado. He was admitted in the Navy School on February 7th 1949 and he graduated on December 24th 1953.
Since his graduation he worked for the Uruguayan hydrographic vessel "Capitán Miranda", for destroyer D E 1 "Uruguay", at the Navy Training Center and finally for the Navy Staff.
Writer Carlos María Gutiérrez, in his book "Una Epopeya Uruguaya, La Vuelta al Mundo del Alférez Cámpora" describes him this way:
Jorge Nader is the quietest of the three sailors, though he is not the eldest. It is an unspoken deal that the other two rely on him to represented them before anyone on land. He is the most introverted, but his gentle manners veil a strong will power and a kind of stubbornness which is usually teamed with an infallible method to guess the way or a position when the instruments fail. Not very keen on going out, when the yacht reaches a port he volunteers to be on watch. He prefers writing. He is the shiest too. His mates acknowledge his amazing physical stamina which has accounted for his capacity to helm for more than twelve hours amidst a storm, or to sleep for one or two hours and return to his duty.
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) CARLOS COSTA GONZALEZ
Carlos Costa González was born on April 29th 1929 in the province of Cerro Largo. He was admitted in the Navy School on the same date Jorge Nader was, and he worked for the same units.
Writer Carlos María Gutiérrez, in his book "Una Epopeya Uruguaya, La Vuelta al Mundo del Alférez Cámpora" describes him this way:
Carlos Alberto Costa is the most audacious and he is the one to suggest initiatives. Outstanding athlete (gymnast at L Avenir, expert shooter and amateur practitioner of several sports) is also proficient in engines and in radio. He handles transmissions on board and he is the yacht's chief engineer.
He has not hesitated going up a mast in the middle of the night, amidst a furious storm, in order to take down a torn sail or a loose wire. Being from the province of Cerro Largo, his character portrays the hot temper typical of border dwellers as well as innate self-centeredness. Among them, he is the most entrenched in military discipline; he has being in charge of vessels and reserve detachments. He is bound to have some temperamental outbursts which, deep inside, stem from profound sensitivity.
During endless conversations on board, he is the one to bring forward the examination of conduct problems. Deeply devoted to his profession, he belongs to a promotion of young Uruguayan officers who wonder inquisitively what the exact role of the Navy is, particularly in a new country such as Uruguay, far beyond mere burocratism.
Ensign JOSE FIRPO UGARTAMENDIA
José Firpo Ugartamendía was born on September 10th 1931 in the province of Paysandú. He was admitted in the Navy School on February 1st 1950 and graduated on December 21st 1954.
He worked for: destroyer D E 1 "Uruguay" during 1954 and 1955; for the Navy Staff until 1957, Uruguayan corvette "Maldonado" and again for the Navy Staff until departure date in 1960.
Writer Carlos María Gutiérrez, in his book "Una Epopeya Uruguaya, La Vuelta al Mundo del Alférez Cámpora"1 describes him this way:
José Humberto Firpo is the youngest. He is the most cheerful among them but not sloppy, at all. He secretly respects Costa and Nader as his superiors and he refers to them with sincere admiration. He joined the team seeking adventure, however, due to his natural and sharp intelligence he is able to comprehend other transcendental and essential aspects of the journey. He is outstandingly technically trained as well as the other two sailors; he is another member of the navigation team, the cook, the manager and the photographer on board. Every now and then, he substitutes Nader in his function of keeping the log, though fairly more subjectively than his crony.
