Before the record, there was a battle.
Before the crossing, there was a war fought in courtrooms and government offices — not on the open water. In December 2014, eight months before Roger Klüh piloted the Apache Star from Key West to Havana, his Madrid-based attorney Lourdes Dávalos León gave a rare interview about the legal fight surrounding the mission. What she described was a system that wanted to stop something it couldn't contain.
Here is what she said — and what it means for the legend that followed.
The Mission She Was Asked to Join
When Roger Klüh approached Lourdes Dávalos León for legal representation, she was already one of the sharpest legal minds working the intersection of Cuban, Spanish, and US embargo law. Born in Cuba, practicing in Madrid — she understood the geopolitical terrain better than almost anyone.
Her assignment: secure all necessary US government licenses to allow the Apache Star and its crew to make the passage from Key West to Havana in record time.
"I felt honored to be part of such a historical milestone," she said at the time. "It was both difficult and exciting."
Difficult turned out to be an understatement.
The Wall: US Government vs. The Apache Star
The core legal obstacle was this: the Apache Star powerboat was built in the United States. Under US embargo law, American-built vessels are considered US products — meaning the government claimed jurisdiction to block the crossing, regardless of the German flag flying on the boat or the European composition of the crew.
Dávalos León and her US legal partners built their entire case around a specific exception in the embargo framework: the "Public Event or Exhibition" clause. Their argument was solid. The crossing was an internationally visible, publicly documented, athletically significant event — exactly the kind of cultural bridge the exception was designed to permit.
The US Treasury Department disagreed. The license was denied. The appeal was denied. The system had spoken.
"I consider the rejection unjustified," she stated plainly. "But the interpretation and application of the embargo ultimately lies at the discretion of US authorities."
Cuba Was Ready
On the other side of the Florida Strait, a very different reception was being prepared.
Commodore Escrich of the Havana International Yacht Club had been in close contact with Dávalos León throughout the planning process. He understood exactly what Roger's mission represented — not just as a sporting event, but as a symbolic act of connection between two worlds long forced apart.
"The people of Havana are ready to be part of this speed record," she confirmed. "It would be a grand event for the country."
Cuba wasn't the obstacle. The embargo was.
The Question No One Could Answer
When pressed on what would happen if Roger chose to make the crossing without a US license, Dávalos León gave the most honest answer available:
"Nobody knows with certainty what will happen."
Under Cuban law, she confirmed, there would be no problem. The people of Havana would welcome him with open arms. On the US side, potential consequences ranged from financial penalties to restrictions on re-entering US territory or holding US assets.
As Roger's attorney, she could not recommend breaking the law.
As a human being — and as a Cuban — she said something different:
"Whatever Roger decides, I will support him."
What Happened Next
On August 1, 2015, Roger Anthony Cassius Klüh piloted the Apache Star across the Florida Strait — 2,700 HP, approximately 90 minutes, Key West to Havana.
The world record was set. History was made. An embargo was defied.
The Cuban government recognized the achievement formally, awarding Roger the Orden "Al Mérito Deportivo" — signed by Raúl Castro, Acuerdo Nr. 5392 — one of Cuba's highest sporting honors.
Nobody stopped him.
Nobody could.
Top: Fidel Castro with his personal assistant Zoyka Laura Cabrera (Laurita) in Havana. Bottom: Roger Anthony Cassius Klüh during his press conference in Havana — alongside Laurita, the same woman who stood beside Cuba's historic leader. A moment where two worlds converged.
Born from a world record. Built for the relentless.
→ Discover the full story → Read the book: Apache Star — The Art of Speed
Source: Interview with Lourdes Dávalos León, originally published December 2014 by BOOT Online
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